h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I cycled in to town today, and home again, and whilst my legs ache a little I'm planning on running in tomorrow. It's about 4.5k and no doubt I'll walk a bit of it.

I'll keep you posted though.

I've started jogging again lately. But not doing too well at the moment.

I'm doing it to try to regain some fitness and loose a bit of the extra weight I'm carrying. Tomorrow's planned excursion will be the sixth outing since starting a couple of weeks ago, and it might take me up to a couple of miles jog/walk, if I'm lucky.
I'm also doing some regular stretching and exercises on the stomach and back muscles most days, to persuade the joints to articulate properly without making a lot of noise. By doing that I hope to get some sort of general core fitness back.

But it's hard going. Good luck with your efforts anyway.


Deke

Good luck to you too Deke!

I think it's the extra weight that I want to shift that's making me continue with this. The healthier lifestyle seems to make my beer gut disappear.

I did 4.8k this morning on the way in to work, in 32 minutes of walk/run. Which isn't too bad I don't think seeing as I wasn't pushing it.
I think tomorrow though I'll either cycle or get the tram, and spend the spare time doing a bit of yoga for the stretching.

I decided to run home today too, so another 4.8k but in 36 minutes this time. Mind you, it was uphill.

Got any room for a little 'un in the h2 running club?

I started off at 14.5 stone and I need to lose about 2.5 stone to get to a reasonable weight.

Today did three miles around local common tracks. It's shady out there but still very hot and humid.
It feels like I've sweated off a couple of pounds, but no doubt I'll soon put that back on. All went sort of OK so quite pleased at keeping going throughout except for a warm-up walk and a bit at the end to cool off.

At the moment I'm looking to get out three times a week. Next go probably Wednesday.

Beer is high in carbohydrates. Good for carbo loading I'm told.

Deke

There's room for all!

Beer's my downfall, I blame it for my 16 stone 11 bulk, but I'm 6'3" so it doesn't stand out too much. I'd love to get below 16 though.

Thanks

Running/biking as you're doing ought to cope with under a stone weight loss I would have thought.

Looking at your run/bike plots (from the other thread) is quite interesting. If I'm reading it right, you seem to have some rather 'undulating' routes. Although the height plotted for the same location seems to vary on different runs. If it is that hilly I'm not surprised you get out of breath. That's not the easiest sort of route to run.

I don't have a Smartphone and I've never seen this sort of plot before. Any idea what would happen if you went 'off-road' in a park or some such? Would it still be able to plot?

Deke

Yeah, it uses GPS to track where I am. I've used it up mountains in Ireland before and it worked wonderfully until the battery ran out

There's several different version of this sort of thing around. The first one I used was on an old Nokia phone, and I loved it.


Today I walked in to work, just under 6k in about an hour. Should have strolled more but I was running late. Wasn't going to actually run though, not two days in a row

This morning's run (http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/59736793) of 4.76k was in 29:50, so a little faster than Mondays (http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/59170665)

It looks like the speed graph was a little steadier too, definitely longer running the first part, almost a third again before a walking break. In fact, the walking breaks definitely seem to be shorter too.

I think I'll catch the tram home though and take tomorrow off completely. My legs ache a little

Your body definitely needs to be rested in between runs - I've been running for about 18 months now, at least 3 times a week, but even now if I try to run every day then by the end of a week I'm slower, stiffer and generally suffereing and not enjoying it as much. I am sure at some point you get to the level where you can do miles and miles every day but I'm not there yet!

I'm still struggling in the heat - did 4.2 miles yesterday, in 41 minutes - so just about 10 minute miles. I should be able to do 9 minute miles but finding the heat very difficult indeed. I should really be doing some intervals soon to pick my speed up as I get used to running in the heat.

Put in another jog of about 3 miles. Same route as before. It went quite well except for two enforced walks because of oncoming horses on the bridleway. It's still hot here too, and that's not helping.

Just to keep the motivation up I've signed up for our local 5 mile fun-run. The start/finish is about a half mile from the front door, so it's 'very' local. It's in mid July so I'm hoping to get enough practice in to get all the way round non-stop by then. Trouble is I'm off on holiday for two weeks from this Saturday and I don't think there's going to be much opportunity to get much jogging done. I'll probably have to restart from scratch when I get back.

Deke

Good luck in the run Dele!

Today's my rest day, so I'm in the pub with a beer.

This morning it was 4.61k in 27:40

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/60283415

I think on average I was faster than earlier in the week, or rather more steady. And I only slowed to walk a couple of times.

I also actually feel a lot better at the end of the first week's training than I thought I would. I had visions of sitting down and going "ow" a lot Thankfully, apart from a few gentle aches I feel pretty good.

It's a long weekend this weekend, so I might try and go out again or at the very least go for a cycle.

Today wasn't too good, but in my defense there were hills involved. I'm not good with hills, I'm from the Fens.

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/61271958

3.2k in 19:45, but look at those hills

Over the forth bridge and back tonight which is both 5k and a good view! Time was 34.51 so a 30 second improvement on last time

That's a good improvement Z!

I've not been for a run since that last one. It's not stopped raining here yet.

I'm back.

I managed just three short,slow runs during the last two weeks. About two miles each. Which is not really very good, but something I suppose.

Looks like I'll have to get a move on to cope with the race in three weeks time. Not enough time really but we'll see how it goes.

As I haven't got a smartphone I've been looking at the Garmin watches and their 'Connect' website which seems to offer the same sort of download thing as your record shows. I might just go for one of those as it does seem like quite a good aid.

Deke

I've got a Garmin 405, there are better ones but it does me a treat for running, walking and cycling. It isn't much use as a hrm in the gym, and I don't like the way it calculates calories. It is great for running though, you can download routes, workouts AMD thinks. I like the virtual race where you can compete with yourself over the same course - it let's you know when you are slower/faster than last time.

Ooh.. thanks for that kelli. The 405 is one of those I've sort of shortlisted

My problem is that I need it to be waterproof and reading the reviews many of the Garmins seem to be effected by rain or sweat unless they're listed as waterproof. I also need it to record 'off road' which is mostly where I'd want to use it. And I can't quite make out whether those places would be recorded on a road map or not.

I don't think I'd need a hrm or calorie counter ( at least I hope I don't), but I'm starting to baulk at the prices of the ones I think will fit the bill.

More consideration needed I think.

Deke

Almost a fortnight since my last run, so I was expecting this to be bad.

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/64580845

It wasn't *too* bad, but not as good as I'd have liked.