Week 2, run 2

[ch77as]

Both my wife and I are now into our second week and really enjoying the sensation of moving quite easily although we have a couple of little twinges. Our fifth running section tonight was a bit uphill but I really felt as if I could have kept going. I put this down to having done week 1 twice so that we could continue together at the same pace. We both love this and Christmas will certainly involve some new (warm) running gear. Best wishes to everyone doing this marvellous programme.

[misswobble Graduate]

Hi there. Glad to hear you're enjoying your runs. You do each week 3 times before moving on to the next podcast. That means you finish the entire programme in 9 weeks. Longer if you choose to do some runs more than 3 times

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Not sure I understand your post. You don't do each week 3 times, but you do run 3 times each week. If you did each week 3 times you would take 27 weeks.

[Hidden]

CONGRATULATION!!!

May I now add one word of caution...don't buy warm clothing; you will regret it. The accepted wisdom is to dress as though it is 10 degrees warmer than it is, and to start running feeling cool or verging on cold. You will quickly warm-up and if you start being warm and toasty you will very quickly overheat and end-up shedding clothing which is a nuisance and horrible to carry.

Keep running, and look forward to the weather improving in the new year. The shortes day is nearly here, and then longer nights..!

[ch77as Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I think I caused the confusion. I started week 1 one week before my wife did. So, as a devoted husband who quite liked the idea of a running partner, I repeated week 1 with her. I think that helped me feel able to do week 2 (2 runs so far) relatively easily.

Thanks for the cautionary note about warm clothing. My son took one look at my wee cold legs after a particularly bitter Scottish morning, and gave me an early Christmas present of some running tights. A few underarmour items of his soon followed. I do wear a hat and some gloves and I'm pretty warm by about the second running stint.

Really looking forward to shedding a layer when the weather gets a little warmer.

[Hidden in reply to ch77as]

Now I understand; and I'm impressed (and jealous) that you run with your wife. I have run with mine, but she has had to 'retire' due to being a busy teacher, running the local Beaver Scout group and other stuff.

I can understand Scottish weather, hailing from Caithness, and I know that is is tempting to dress-up warmly. However all the perceived wisdom is to dress-down, but keeping knees warm as they suffer more. Gloves and hat with long sleeved tech-tee and a short over the top is all that is needed until it gets icy, and then, is it safe to run at all? If it's windy, then a very light weight windstopper is the order of the day.

Good luck to the two of you, and keep us posted.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

[Nerdio Graduate]

Great to see you and your wife doing it together. And congratulations for making that step off the couch and out for a run. That is a big step.

I would concur with Sallycycle, you don't need really warm clothing. I run in the morning, about 06:45. So it's just above freezing. I wear Running tights (short), shorts on top, and a slightly thicker long sleeve top. I have some thin gloves, and a Hi-Viz. Woolly hat. I soon warm up, and the gloves come off, and not long after that I am opening the zip on my shirt. Definitely run on the cooler dressed side, so you don't get too hot. Obviously you are on Week 2 at the moment, but in a few weeks when you are running more than walking, this will make sense.

[ch77as Graduate in reply to Nerdio]

Great, thanks for this. It's cold ears I can't stand and remember the feeling from when I was a harrier aged 15. I also put shorts over the tights. Good job this is a running forum, eh?

[Nerdio Graduate in reply to ch77as]

I bought a high viz. hat from Amazon

amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00...

Cheap, but just fine, and I wash it twice a week at least. Head is lovely and warm (there are some fairly exposed regions up top :-))

OK, it looks a bit Nerdy, but my warmer shirts are not high viz. and at 7am it's dark. Don't fancy getting rundown by a 'half-a-sleep' motorist pulling out of their drive as I run past.

[misswobble Graduate in reply to Nerdio]

Yes, you're right of course Sallycycle! I am a daftie. I'm with you on the warm clothing having run in a thermal the other morning and just about melted

[Spiritualencounter Graduate]

Well done ot you both ... I graduated then pulled my knee ligs and hamstrings... One word of advice ensure you ALWAYS warm up and stretch hamstrings then warm down.

[ch77as Graduate in reply to Spiritualencounter]

I'll tell you what is warm. The welcome from this community.Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I will keep you posted on our progess. So, I'm warming up but not too warm and warming down and doing stretches. Also doing the Strength and Flexibility (week 2) work with Laura which I'm finding very helpful on days in between runing.

Also, I did try the heel strike last night and I agree, it does not feel great. Centre of the foot feels best. Didn't like the breathing tip either.

[Spiritualencounter Graduate in reply to ch77as]

I adapted the breathing to 2 in 2 out,I am asthmatic and 47 so the suggested length was making me more breathless. Laura's tips are a great starting point so just find your own levels. As you progess you will need to regulate the breathing as it helps build your stamina. I ignored it until week 7 then realised its needed. try reducing it to 1:1, then 2:2 until you find your level.

[ch77as Graduate in reply to Spiritualencounter]

Thanks for this. I tried this tonight on our last run of week 2 but I spent the last three runs nursing a tiny niggle in my knee. This could be a problem as I damaged some ligaments a few years ago. I have just shed 2 whole stones so I am much lighter than I was when the original damage was done. So, I couldn't fully concentrate on the breathing tonight. I might try 3 strides in etc.

[Spiritualencounter Graduate in reply to ch77as]

Yes 3 is my optimum. The knee prob grrr I have its right now and can't run. GP said 6 weeks rest !! 2 lot of physio a week at the moment. When I start back I think im going to have to go back to week 5.

[ch77as Graduate in reply to Spiritualencounter]

Just finished week 3 run 2. I'm now finding that my hitherto stronger left knee is now feeling a couple of tiny twinges as I near the end of my final 3 minute run. My wife has a weaker right calf, having torn this twice in the past, and her left calf is playing up. Someone suggested that wearing heels just before running could be a problem. I'm quite interested that it seems to be our 'other' legs that are giving us slight problems. Anyway, nothing to worry about really as we are both managing the Week 3 stuff really well and have accepted that this is a long term thing with long term gains. Really enjoying it.