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

http://www.h2g2.com/A432154

As an experienced runner, i felt that i would be qualified to write this article after i noticed that there is a tremendous lack of information about the sport/hobbie of running. Check it out, i'd appreciate any additional information you have regardless of whether it is written well, but either way...

Readable, and useful if you're already fit enough to run 20 mins four times a week! How about some advice for real starters?
The way you've written this is entertaining but I felt it needed some more facts. Like other reasons for running than becoming a masochist! And advice on running shoes, warming up, cooling down.... If this made it too long the training schedule would make a separate entry.

I don't run, tho' I'd like to be able to, but I do swim and the benefits from swimming have been enormous, without turning me into a masochist.
Wz

I liked it...just a few spelling mistakes..sorry. Without being too picky (mainly coz I couldn't spell to save myself) but err...one of the headings had the word "month" twice.

I think you could include a little bit more about running for health as well...not training with a monthly plan, but running (lightly or jogging) 20 minutes a day, and perhaps some of the benefits of that.

This conversation is about the same entry as http://www.h2g2.com/F48874?thread=76305&skip=0&show=20 and the author doesn't seem to care about it (although stating he wants to become a seasoned writer). Pity that.

I think there's a lot of stuff that could be added to this entry.

I like the writing style ie the acknowledgement that you have to be a psycho to do it. And it does try to encourage the reader into trying it. All good stuff.

I think you could spruce the entry up with a touch more accuracy and a bit of science being thrown in. While I like the opening sentence "running is a primitive way of getting from point a to point B", it is not altogether correct. I instantly thought of walking but crawling, hopping and skipping are equally as good. Think about the progression, babies crawl, then they learn to walk because it's more efficient. They only run when they want to get somewhere quicker than they can get there by walking.

Also running isn't just about putting one leg in front of the other and pulling back, although that will help someone in their running. Both walking and running are about leaning forward so that the bodies' centre of mass causes the person to topple forward. Putting a foot out in front stops the nose (& face) from becoming the first thing to hit the ground. Running is of course is speeded up walking to the point where at times neither foot is in contact with the ground. It also uses up more energy.

Long distance runners will usually heel-strike first and then roll onto the the toes. During this the foot turns slightly inwards (pronation). Injuries can be caused when over-pronation occurs. When the foot rolls outwards (suprination) injuries can also occur, although runners can survive (I think).

For the beginner runners, how about some tips such as try and get your knee, hip and shoulder passing over the foot, so that the body stays in line.

As for a beginner training plan. Try this 3 times per week.
Week 1 - Run 1 min, walk 14 mins; run 1 min, walk 14.
Week 2 - Run 2, walk 13, run 2, walk 13
Week 3 - Run 3, walk 12, run 3, walk 12

By now you should be seeing a pattern. At the end of 3 months or so you can run for half an hour.

My personal motto is that "Running is never fun if you're trying to get somewhere quick", that is to say that if you just go out with the intention of passing the time, looking around yourself and not trying to set any personal bests, the time passes by pretty nicely.

Ultimately I think an entry on running could have so much and this one only scratches the surface. You could be talking about treadmill vs. road vs. off-road; competitive races e.g. 10k, half marathon, marathon vs. fun runs for charity; equipment e.g. shoes, cold weather gear; pschological states e.g. associative/disassociative; gait mechanics, stride mechanics; nutrition. The list goes on ....

Maybe you should take on the article Bright Blue , as the original author seems to have disappeared. I'd like to know more about all those things you list at the end. And thanks for the beginner's programme. Just three months to get to half an hour? Really? That would be great, though my target is to be able to run a mile and keep long distances for swimming.

You say long distance runners tend to put their heels down first. Does that imply short distance runners don't or is it the speed that determines this?
Wz

30 minutes within 3 months is definitely realistic. Actually I have no proof, I just read this schedule in a running mag a few years back, but it seems sensible. The main point is that you're doing 30 mins on your feet during that time.

My personal tip for running longer distances is find a pace you feel comfortable at (e.g. able to talk) and then go a little bit slower. You'll be amazed at how long you can actually run for. Too many people go to fast, get out of breath and therefore assume they can't run long distance. As a swimmer you'll probably understand the principle.

The heel strike thing ..... sprinters and middle distance runners tend to land on their toes and push off again as soon as possible. The basic principle being that every time you touch the ground you slow down, therefore the shorter time in contact the less speed you lose. Obviously though speed is not as essential for long distance and it is more energy efficient to land on the heel (or mid foot) and roll forwards again. That said I seem to remember hearing it said that Haile Gebresaillse (Olympic 10,000m champion) never lets his heels touch. He runs 10k in under 27mins - thats about 14mph (22km/h)!

Speed is ultimately determined by stride length and stride frequency. The more steps you can put in over a longer distance the quicker you run!

Anyway enough of the psycho-babble, maybe I will take it on once I've done my article on UK Vehicle registration plates ..... In the mean time if you want more, just ask. Actually I will put all that stuff into an entry so that we have the beginnings of one.

Thanks for that. I do understand the principle from swimming. I only managed to start stringing more than 10 lengths front crawl together when I decided to swim it tai chi style and found I could just keep on and on at that relaxed pace. From that it was easy to start speeding up and swimming further. I don't know why I never thought of it applying to running.
Starting an entry sounds a good idea. Any advice on running shoes for beginners? The ground seems very hard through the old Greenflash trainers I inherited from an aunt.

I have nothing much to offer on registration plates except that yesterday I was sat behind one in a traffic jam that appeared to be made of black insulating tape on an official yellow plate. I wouldn't have thought you could buy blank plates.
Wz

Advice on running shoes - can be got from a specialist running shop. Don't trust the dorky assistants at places like "Top Trainers", "All-Sports" or "JJB". They're only employed on a Saturday, they have no idea of customer service, they're not interested in their product.

Rant begins .... in fact last time I tried to buy a pair of shoes from a place like that I tried on a pair that were blatantly to narrow and were pressing on the sides of the foot. The assistant tried to tell me that the shoe would break in over time. Maybe so, but you can find a pair that'll fit well in the first place if you keep looking ... blah, blah, blah ... rant ends.

Remember if you get a pair of shoes cheap there's probably a good reason why? 95% of the time its because they're s**t. In England, I wouldn't spend less than £50-00 on a pair of running shoes and I'd reserved them purely for running. No doing the garden or walking to the shops. It's also a good motivating factor to know you need to get your money's worth out of them!

As for blank number plates, you can definitely buy them. Hardware places like Halfords or B&Q are a good bet. You occasionally see people put them up as signs for their house names (well almost)

Thanks again BBS- a trip to town is obviously called for. As for the housename number plates I'll give that a miss . This has become quite off topic for a peer review thread so if I want to ask your advice again, or if I get to my running target I'll post to the draft entry you have started. I hope it and/or this one make it to the edited guide sometime.
Wz

Hi,
only just got around to reading your entry.
How about a mention of the marathon - most runners' ultimate goal? Also, most training plans inlcude an LSD (long, slow duration) run once a week, even if you don't plan to run long distance. This gives you some endurance. A longer tempo run is also usually in the plan to increase lactate tolerance.

I write the newsletter for the Cambridge Harriers (that's Cambridge, Ontario, Canada). I try to research something every month.
I'm a sub-three-hour marathon runner myself. What are your current times?

Hi,
only just got around to reading your entry.
How about a mention of the marathon - most runners' ultimate goal? Also, most training plans inlcude an LSD (long, slow duration) run once a week, even if you don't plan to run long distance. This gives you some endurance. A longer tempo run is also usually in the plan to increase lactate tolerance.

I write the newsletter for the Cambridge Harriers (that's Cambridge, Ontario, Canada). I try to research something every month. The articles are archived there http://www3.sympatico.ca/trevor.stokes/harriers.html Follow the Arhive link. Excuse the mess - I'm converting to frames.

I'm a sub-three-hour marathon runner myself. What are your current times?

Would anyone be offended if I recommended that this thread be moved to the Writing Workshop? This entry, while interesting, still needs quite a bit of work. Which doesn't seem to be happening, as the author hasn't been around for quite awhile.


Mikey

Editorial Note: This Conversation has been moved to the new 'Flea Market' Forum.

This is where we move any Peer Review, Writing Workshop or Alternative Writing Workshop Conversations where the original author has *not* posted to h2g2 for three months. This prevents the active Review Forums from clogging up with dormant entries, but in the Flea Market they can be picked up by others and polished off.

Flea Market Clean Out:

Return to Author's space
(several running entries in the Guide)

Looks like Bright Blue Shorts began a Flea Market Rescue that didn't progress very far: A503029 Running (Draft version)

I agree – there are several articles on running in the guide, including:
A204319 Running
A264340 Running a Live Action Role Playing at a Gaming Convention
A769764 The Running of the Bulls, Pamplona, Spain
A1132417 Cross Country Running
A27975126 The Great North Run
A3103831 Training for a 5K Race

Therefore back to entry.

<BB<