Greetings! This week’s chat is being hosted by yours truly!
The lens is cracked on my phone camera so I struggled a bit to find a suitable photo to add. Since I didn’t get round to posting pictures of my COGH t-shirt, I thought that might be suitable.
I’ve recently been sore around my torso; thankfully, the physio reckons it should settle down soon. I mention this because it’s made me aware of what my core muscles are doing. I’ve known for a while that these muscles are important to running but that was where my understanding stopped. Currently, I’m not aware of them whilst walking but, as soon as I start running, I immediately feel them tightening up. So, I’ve now experienced the involvement of core muscles whilst running. This got me thinking about the things that I’ve learnt through running so, I thought I’d ask the question: what have you learnt through running?
Something else that I learnt was from back in my power walking days (so not strictly from running): having built up my training walks to 7 miles, I went out and did 17 miles. After that, it took around 3 months for the shin splints to settle down. That’s how I learnt about the 10% rule (and about foam rollers).
A fair amount of my running is on quiet, tree lined paths; it’s a nice area to run in. Anyhow, I’ve noticed a lot of squirrels on the paths recently a lot of which don’t react to my presence until I’m quite close. Seems to me that they’re doing a poor job of looking out for predators (not that I’m hunting them anyway). When they do notice me, some of them dart back and forth in front of me several times, seemingly trying to decide on the best tree to escape into. I suspect that a lot of them are juveniles who still have a lot to learn. So, what creatures have you encountered when out running?
As always, if you're new here, or just browsing through the community posts, this is a great place to introduce yourself and let us know how you are doing. You’ll find plenty of support and knowledge from your fellow runners here.
Have a great week, everyone!!!
The Marathon Team xxx
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SkiMonday
Ultramarathon
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Only been running just over a year so I’ve got much to learn. Just finished reading Running with Lydiard:Greatest Running Coach of all time. Creatures? Sorry to fit the Aussie Stereotype but a Kangaroo, a snake and pods of dolphins 😊
Apparently here in England we have a flurry of garden snakes this year. As a passionate gardener I’m surprised I’ve never seen one but think I’d run away if I did 🙀
To date, I've seen one snake out in the wild and even that was a "maybe" (it, err, ran off before I could really see what it was). That was when I was walking part of the Cornish cost path.
Hi SM, great to have you hosting the weekly chat. 😀 I hope your torso eases. That must be painful, especially over the distances you’re covering. 🏃♂️
I’ve been running for 3 years now, and (thankfully, and touching wood frantically) it’s been a smooth ride. I can slot into a groove and trot away for ages - a bit of a one paced pony. That said, I’ve recently discovered that being out of my comfort zone is fun too. The NRC guided speed runs in their HM plan are really good fun. The elation at completing one is worth the temporary “pain”! Bring them on. 😀
As for creatures, because I run with my dog 99% of the time, I’m sure they disappear before we get close, but the common has loads of rabbits. I do see loads of beautiful skylarks though. So many this year, and their song is joyful. 🥰 On other routes, I regularly see herons, squirrels and kestrels. ❤️
Thanks CC. I've massively reduced distance due to my injuries, hopefully, I can get back to them soon.
Know what you mean about slotting into a groove; it's a great way of eating up distance. The speed runs, are a good way of adding some variety, glad you're enjoying them.
That's a good mix of wildlife; is Flossy ever tempted to go after the rabbits? I don't see many birds of prey but I have passed a few bushes full of sparrows shouting at each other. There seem to be a lot of robins around too.
No, she’s not really a chaser. The only things she’ll go for are big crows on the ground, or seagulls if we’re on the beach! Chances of her getting close to catching one? Zero! 😂
Morning SM! Great to have you hosting. I’ve just poured myself a cuppa and am ready for the chat ☕️🙂
That’s interesting about your core muscles but I know what you mean. We do a lot of work on our obliques and hip flexors in Pilates and blimey I can really feel them for the next few days but these are great for the running so it’s all good.
I’ve learned so much through running not least about my body and how it works. I’ve had several injuries over the years and so with each injury I’ve searched and researched about the particular muscle affected and then listened carefully to what the physio has said at the time about how the injured bit might have got injured and what it does in the running movement, etc etc. It’s been quite a lesson 🙄
I’ve also learned more about my local area because I’ve explored little roads and ventured into places that I wouldn’t go by car. So much going on!
As I live in the countryside I regularly see all sorts of creatures. Horses, cows and sheep are a daily occurrence of course but there have also been deers (I once saw a little family of mummy deer, daddy deer and baby deer all crossing the road in front of me. I just stopped running to stare at them as they were so beautiful and I was so enthralled that I forgot to pause the Garmin 😂) Occasionally I’ve seen a fox and I have had a few “races” with pheasants along the country roads. And of course squirrels which are quite tame and will run away only at the last minute. So all in all a bit of a zoo around these parts 😍
Running wise, I’ve ticked off Week 2 of HM planning but I’ve got a bit of an issue already 🙄 I had my orthotics adjusted last week and while the first two runs afterwards were fine, at the end of the third run, a 10K, my knees started to throb and were quite throbby (is that a word?) the rest of the day. I’ve contacted my podiatrist who has suggested trying again so I’m taking a few days’ extra rest and will head out on Wednesday. Fingers crossed I’ll be throb-free as I don't want to come unstuck at this stage 🤞
Ooops - I just looked at the length of my post and I know I can chat but even so……
Have a good week everyone and to those of you who are training, I hope it’s all going well x
Running is certainly good for exploring an area. Although I've noticed sometimes when I'm just out for a stroll that I see things that I miss when running past.
That's a fair collection of wildlife. Early on in lockdown, I noticed far more deer than I've ever seen around here before or since. A while ago, walking along a road that's been closed to vehicles, a couple of badgers came round the bend in front of us. That was fun to see.
Hope that you soon return to non-throbby knees and that you enjoyed that extra cuppa!
Do hope that soreness disappears very soon SM. I'm not sure where to start with what I've learned through running. SO much! That I'm determined, focused and impatient are things I probably knew already, but have had lots of time to prove and reflect upon through running! I guess the main thing I've learned is that I do actually have a strong competitive streak after all - only it's all directed at me, I'm constantly looking to beat myself 🤣 I'm not sure how healthy that is - it's most likely not sustainable either!!!As for wildlife it's pretty much birds, ducks, herons, swans, geese, squirrels and rabbits when I'm running. On my bike though, there've been deer, one big stag in Windsor great Park, horses, sheep, cows, alpacas and wallabies (private zoo!) that I can remember; altogether more exotic!
I'm currently taking a few days off from running and cycling to see if I can get this hip/quad inflammation to quiet down; one thing I don't seem to have quite learned is exactly when to stop and rest and when to run through it 🙄
I have had a few trips to the physio SM. In a nutshell, it is a recurring calf tweak, not even a tear, which wouldn’t go away. I could get up to 4:5k and then the pain kicked in. It is a good as it has been for ages at present, following two weeks of long slow road runs. I think the added strength from the running and long walks I have been doing is helping. That said, I am going to fix up another physio appointment. I did a tempo run tonight which went well, with just a little reminder from my calf at the end. I managed a pain free slow jog home though so it is probably nothing. I have been running over the last 6 months but, for the most part, only for short distances.
That seems to be a tricky one to fix. Hopefully, it will hold up for the GNR then, maybe, you could do some consolidation to finally get it fully sorted.
Thanks Linda. Trying to beat your own records seems perfectly healthy to me and I suspect it will be practical for a good number of years yet. You reminded me that there's a place near us with a herd of alpaca.
Judging when to take time off can be tricky although I then to think that a few days off is usually better than aggrivating an injury. Hope your inflammation settles down soon.
Morning SkiMonday. After 3 years of following the 10% rule and never running two days consecutively I have had to stick my neck out a bit in order to prepare for the GNR. Having got myself back to 10k from 5k in the course of two weeks, I have embarked on a 4 runs per week programme which requires 2 consecutive days of running; an easy 40 mins yesterday and a 30 min tempo to run today. Given that VRBs have run RED January efforts, I am hoping that I can get away with this. The other two runs this week will be intervals and an 11k long run. Oddly my last 3 runs have all been at 7.33/k exactly. Either I have turned into a rather slow metronome or my Garmin has gone loopy!! 🤞 the persistent niggles which delayed the start HM training are behaving themselves and my legs feel much stronger (lots of walking on holiday helped). So we will see. I have made a commitment to run the GNR for a charity and don’t want to let people down. 🤞🤞🤞🤞 On the theme of “what have you learned?” I think I am in the process of learning what my boundaries are, and whether what I have learned to date can be flexed in extremis!
Hi Beachcomber! After 3 years, you should be OK running on two consecutive days. I've also been running for about 3 years and have been running two pairs of consecutive days for around 8 months now. I think the minimum is one day off a week but I've gone for three on the grounds that recovery time is important. Even those doing a RED month seem to have days with really short runs in order to allow some recovery.
I sometimes think that my Garmin has become stuck on a particular pace; I usually speed up or slow down just to force it to change.
Since you’re at 11k now and have two months until the GNR, I reckon that’s enough time to comfortably build up to be ready.
Thanks SM, I hope so; it is the balance between getting enough miles in and not putting myself back to square one which is the problem. My great physios will have a plan 🙂
I haven't been on here for a little while not sure why because it's such a great community, anyway I've come on today to ask for my shiny FM badge after doing my first one on Saturday. It wasn't fast by any means and not that pretty either I expect by the end (I was so hot and sweaty, bedraggled because it was raining alot when I started and I got a bit emotional during the last couple of kms! it didn't help that Strava had told me that I should have finished at a local cafe on my route plan but I still had about 2kms to go according to my watch! but I did it) So without sounding cheesy I've learnt from my running that I'm capable of alot more than I ever thought when I started C25K nearly 2 years ago. I never set out to do longer distances I just wanted to get a bit fitter but I love it and it's the best thing I've ever done.
My favourite wildlife experience was when a buzzard flew just above head height in front of me along a trail path for what felt like ages, no one else was around, the sun was shining and it was beautiful. I love going out early so you never know what you might see that's whats lovely about it. Have a great week everyone
Thanks Guinea and congratulations on achieving a Full Marathon! I see you have your new badge now.
I think there are quite a few of us who’ve found that C25K has started us on a journey to more than we’d expected although, in my case, part of the motivation was to save time compared to power walking (that hasn’t exactly turned out to be the case, I’m faster but I just go farther)!
Your experience with the buzzard must have been a great experience.
Great post Ski! I hope the soreness eases up soon and you can get back on plan. I’ve been managing some hip joint pain too lately, mostly because I pushed a bit to hard in too short a timeframe. No-one else to blame :). It’s one of the things I am slowly learning: To ease up on my pushes and give myself time to recover. But it’s a tricky thing to balance as many of us here know. Also, so many small practical lessons like learning the local trails and sucking the water out of my hydration flasks so they don’t slosh around while I run; To wear sunscreen and to layer for the weather in the right way; To bring an ID tag in my long run pack in case I fall and whack my head; To buy shoes at least 1.5 sizes larger to save my toenails; Also to lock lace my shoes for the same reason on hilly runs; To wear mosquito repellent on morning runs especially after a rain; To check for ticks this time of year; To keep a faff list for race days. To bring a bit more hydration than I think I will need on longer exposed runs in the sun; And many, many others… and there is still so much to learn.
I really love seeing wildlife on runs. I’ve seen snakes (none poisonous), hawks, deer, foxes, coyotes, many different birds. I try to get a photo if I am fast enough, but I’ve missed many moments as they happen so quickly. I have a few here that I at least got a fuzzy photo of before they vanished.
Thanks Decker. Hope your hip joint settles down soon. In my case, my plan had plenty of contingency but recurring problems from a minor fall have eaten it all up so I’ve no contingency left. I suspect it’s a common problem. Still, I reckon I’m building from a good solid base so I should be OK.
It surprises me how much there is to learn about running. Hopefully, we learn some of it well enough so that we can do those things without having to think about them.
I think that coyotes are the one type of creature on your list that I’m unlikely to encounter here in GB. I recall from a ski trip to Banff that all the venomous wildlife lives south of your border, is that how you know that the snakes aren’t poisonous? Some great photos there, you must have been quick to catch that deer.
Yes I remember your post about that fall. Last year I was out for June and part of July and still was able to get back to it so I think you should be ok.
Regarding the snakes, we do have rattlesnakes further north but I’ve not seen one yet, just common garter snakes and my pic is a young Brown snake I believe. Both are harmless. The deer was a rare moment when she actually stopped by the path to feed and allowed me to take close up photos and video too.
Squirrels! Yes, lots of those around here. Also hedgehogs, if I'm out early enough to spot one.But, my absolute favourites were these paradoxically named common lizards in the woods where I run or dog walk. I had never seen a lizard wild in England before last month.
I'll be following the badge link, too! Thanks for reminding me.
I've been running nearly 14 months and my "creatures spotted on runs" list includes dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, chickens, geese, ducks, cows, sheep, goats, deer, squirrels, foxes, snakes, lizards, rabbits, and all sorts of birds including jays, woodpeckers, doves, herons and raptors, particularly red kites. I've heard cuckoos loads of times, but never yet seen one.
Undoubtedly the rarest creature, though, is that strange beast called the runner. I've seen precisely two!
The main thing I've learnt through running is that apparently I can! As for the running forums, they've mostly confirmed that I have masses to learn, and that I'm even weirder and more contrary than I thought.
That’s a fair collection of wildlife! There again, you’re not exactly in an urban environment are you!
There’s a much higher density of those “runner” creatures around here than where you are.
I agree that you’ve certainly proved that you can run! You may still have a lot to learn but I think you must have learnt a lot getting this far. As for being weird, I don’t think I’m conventional enough to be able to answer that!
Waddup SM! Great photos my good man! I was actually just pondering about what I had learnt from my Half yesterday. Mainly around fueling and pacing. Never assume that because you don't really need to fuel your LSR's that you don't need to fuel your race!
I have been thinking about animal spots on runs. Lots of birds including buzzards and barn owls, rabbits, a stoat chasing a rabbit, deer, horses, lots of dogs!, and during an apres run walk, a walrus!!
I think the only time I’ve seen an owl in the wild was as a passenger in a car; it was gliding along next to us just the other side of a dry stone wall. The stoat chasing the rabbit must have been interesting.
I've mainly learned that I can do a lot more than I thought possible.
I see a lot of deer, squirrels, the occasional stoat, foxes, lots of rabbits, occasional hares, loads of cows, sheep, horses, some alpacas, chickens, geese, all on my paths. I've had a polecat once too. Oh, little lizards and the occasional tiny snake too.
Birds; owl, buzzards, kites, herons,egrets, loads of waterfowl etc.
Thank you so much for posting such a fabulous Weekly Chat, Ski! I hope you are feeling better!!??
On a run one day I saw a man leading a tiny pony that was so pregnant she looked completely round! I saw them at first from some distance away and I thought she was a sheep for a while 😂
My ankle seems to be settling down nicely so it shouldn't be too long until I can run again (although I'm planning to get it checked with the physio first).
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