Recovery run

[StarkeyGo]

So following the advice from you, lovely lot I run for 20 min today instead of the 35 I’ve been doing to reach 5k.

The last two 5k runs exhausted me so I thought I’ll give my body a break without breaking the habit of running 3xweek.

I feel good and recovered!

Also I’ve been practising my step in starting to feel some tension in my knees and I want to avoid injury. So I’ve been watching some videos and trying to emulate the step.

Any advise about how to nail the correct position of the feet is welcome. X

[acountrycabbage Graduate]

That’s great you’re feeling good and recovered! 🙌🏼 The 20 min run sounds an interesting plan, I wouldn’t have considered that for trying to reach a speedier 5K 👍🏼

Any particular videos you’d recommend? I worry about my knees also. Anything I can do to keep them happy..!

[Speedy60 Graduate in reply to acountrycabbage]

Try not to over stride, 'grabbing' the ground in front of you. Your foot shouldn't hit the ground any further forward than your knee. I try to land midfoot. I read a great piece of advice last week, which was to stop thinking about how you land and concentrate on how you take off. So, roll your foot forwards and spring off the ball of your foot. It has certainly made my running more powerful, but if you're new, I wouldn't completely ignore where your foot is landing.

Knee problems could be an indication that the muscles running down either side of the joint need strengthening. There are some great knee exercises on the NHS website.

[nowster Graduate in reply to Speedy60]

The "barefoot way" is never to push off with the trailing foot, only "lift and place". The forward motion comes from the interaction with gravity, much like how walking works: a repeated falling forward with grace. Landing the leading foot under or slightly behind the centre of gravity perpetuates this forward motion.

[Speedy60 Graduate in reply to nowster]

Probably why I never do anything with grace. 😉

[acountrycabbage Graduate in reply to Speedy60]

Thanks for this, that’s really interesting about take off. I think my stride is pretty good now, I regularly check it when running. In earlier weeks of the programme I would sprint finish and I think it was too big (and it was all just too soon an action for my knees to be coping with).

Broke my tibia in my knee/stretched ligaments a few years so docs have always mentioned my muscles around will have to work harder. I’ve just bought some ankle weights to really help with those NHS exercises 👍🏼

[StarkeyGo Graduate in reply to acountrycabbage]

Nah I just needed to calm down a little, not sure if it'd help to speed up the pace. I was thinking more on staying awake more time as I'm exhausted after running 5k LOL

[acountrycabbage Graduate in reply to StarkeyGo]

Oh I see, ha ha! I thought shorter, faster runs was a tactic to achieving speedier 5Ks!

[StarkeyGo Graduate in reply to acountrycabbage]

LOL, no, I wish. I'm thinking 5k in 30 min by next year not for now.

For now I'll focus in not getting injured and to run as long as I can, just listening to my body not my ego.

[acountrycabbage Graduate in reply to StarkeyGo]

That’s good for me (Miss Impatience over here 👋🏼) to read that.

Sound advice indeed. I might need to write it on my arm after graduation.

No injuries ✅ Body not ego ✅

[nowster Graduate]

Are you landing on the whole foot or forefoot, with your foot landing approximately under your body? eg.

youtu.be/kQ5wQ5NPKw4(Not working as expected?)

(I'm linking to this video a lot. Thanks, John_W for originally linking this one.)

[Ruby69 Graduate in reply to nowster]

@nowster Great video thank you

[acountrycabbage Graduate in reply to nowster]

Thanks nowster, this makes me feel happy about my current positioning 🙂

[StarkeyGo Graduate in reply to acountrycabbage]

yes, same. I don't tend to overstride either, I thought it was perhaps a mistake.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Are you spending at least 70% of your running time at an easy conversational pace.........not one at which you can only gasp odd words?

An easy conversational pace equates to approximately 75% of your maximum heart rate, which is the perfect zone to build the solid aerobic base required to run faster and further, which is why it is the pace at which elite athletes spend up to 80% of their training time.

Can you speak aloud, clear, ungasping sentences as you run?.........if not, you are going too fast.

The remaining 20% is where you can work on speed using intervals or fartlek. The slow pace will also give your knees a rest from impact. Keep footfall under your body, avoid heelstrike and do knee strengthening exercises to build the musculature around your knees.

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Exactly this!!! And I’ve been following it, too, by gradually extending the time spent running on one of my runs. Now up to 90 minutes and doing 10K. Loving my long, slow runs. And I’m already seeing the benefits with pace improvement on my other runs.