Hello! Here's a pic of my new running shoes. They were great! Runs feel a lot more comfortable now. W4r2 I actually completed 2 days ago but just didn't find the time to post it. Ony thing annoying me was my pants seemed to ride into my bum! It's a naff having to slow a down to sort that out! At least it was 6.45am so hardly anyone about unless anyone peeped through their house windows!
I am pleased to say I managed to do the 5 runs even pushing myself on the final run... I know speed isn't the focus here but I just don't wanna get too comfy going at a snail pace when I know I can push myself just that bit harder... The problem is to maintain that speed.
I look forward to w4r3 which I hope to do in a coupla days.
I was also thinking and wondering if anyone else adds other exercise to their running eg yoga, swimming, cycling, whatever, and does it help your running? In what way? Eg in the past swimming helped my breathing techniques during running.
Cheers!
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dotty_segs
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Do we have lots of Australians on the forum these days? Can't think of another explanation for the trend in upside down shoes!
I swim once a week and am gradually building up towards doing a mile per session. Not sure that this helps with anything other than just improving in terms of cardio.
I do many reps of squats three times a week which means my quads are beginning to resemble rocks!
all exercise helps, really. Anything that improves your stamina, strength, flexibility etc is going to have a beneficial effect on your running.
Doing leg strengthening and core exercises are the best things to add in, and al runners should be doing these on a daily or every other day basis, really. Squats, lunges, calf raises and plank, pushups etc.
Beyond that, choose activities that suit your goals. HIIT activities like Spin or Insanity are great to burn calories and improve your speed, resistance training will increase strength, yoga and pilates will boost flexibility. A mixture of all of them will give all round improvements. Keep mixing them up to keep yourself from getting bored and to keep the body from getting too used to any one routine. try to avoid working out the same body part two days running.
I do squats, planks and leg raises for my legs and core and I think they help, plus sporadic yoga and breath-focused meditation which I think would help more with breathing if I did it a bit more often.
And the hungry bum issue? May be too much information but I'd recommend making sure your leggings/shorts are properly opaque and then ditching the knicks; they get sweaty, they rub, they dig in, they are literally a pain in the arse! You can get 'running' ones made of wicking fabric but they're too expensive to be as ugly as they are!
Ah the great runners' knickers debate! There are those who swear by running commando and those who swear by expensive purpose built running drawers. There's little more annoying than having your drawers heading either south or north during a run. I have 3 pairs of no vpl knickers from Sainsburys which are the best, most comfortable running kecks I've ever had, although they weren't bought for that reason. Trial and error is the best way to work out which pairs (or none) work for you. Good luck in your quest Dotty
Snap! I have those shoes too Do you find the laces quite short? By the time I have laced them up over my very wide feet there is only enough left to tie a very small bow.
Regarding the Great Knicker Debate, this is something that recurs frequently on the forum, with some swearing by Bridget Jones-style crotch-to-waist things (that used to be me ), some going for no-VPL types, some just running in whatever comes to hand from the undies drawer and some going commando. I've now gone commando in summer, but in winter I found some very cheap no VPL shorts - 3 for £5 from Primark - that were brilliant.
You're doing brilliantly on the programme - you're halfway there! Happy running in your new shoes
Yup I find the laces quite short! Just enough to tie a bow that stays rather than strays!
What is VPL? Soz me thick!
Commando... Ooh I have yet to try that hah.
I have finally got back into cycling alas at my kid's pace. at least it's something and my 4.5 yr old managed to cycle 6.5 miles which is great considering he had a bike accident last week that sent him to A and E. He's fine now tho. Thank goodness nowt broken!
Trying to get myself psyched up to do week 5 run 1 tomorrow as I have put it off twice.... ??!! tips pls?!
Glad your little lad's okay - that must have been a shock for both of you
You'll be fine with week 5 run 1! Take it slowly and remember to breathe If you are struggling at all, slow down, and then tell yourself you will run to the next lamp post/car/till Laura gives you the next time check. Then do a check of how you are *actually* feeling - lungs still working? Legs still moving? Everything still functioning? Then keep going till the next lamp post Good luck, and let us know how it goes. We're all cheering you on!
Thanks I managed the wk 5 r 1 this morning - felt absolutely fine - don't know what I was so worried about! Think the incentive of rewarding myself by watching the London marathon spurred me on! Amazing these elite guys who run on average of 12-13 mph while I do an average of 4mph!! They make it look so easy! Ah well - at least I now have wk 5 r 1 under my belt and look forward to the nxt one!
Also just done W4R2 I am thinking of doing swimming as my rest day exercise. However, I am starting my teacher training in 2 weeks and the school I am working in is about a 45 minute walk. I may use that as my off day exercise. It is steep hills all the way home so should be good.
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), some going for no-VPL types, some just running in whatever comes to hand from the undies drawer and some going commando. I've now gone commando in summer, but in winter I found some very cheap no VPL shorts - 3 for £5 from Primark - that were brilliant. 
New Shoes!
Shoes!!! 
W4R2 plus a bit
Week 1 run 1 on a treadmill...
