Good day everyone. I hope that all is well in your part of the world.
The morning chat is all about you; an opportunity to air anything which is happening in your running life or has set you thinking. Me first 🙂.
Yesterday I found myself pondering my pre run rituals. Not particularly the “get out of bed and out of the door” ones, although they are pretty lengthy in my case. What I have in mind is what happens between leaving the house and starting a run. I have been watching You Tube videos!! I am now convinced that the rest of the world is doing all sorts of clever stuff pre run whereas all I do is my warm up walk. Somewhere along the line I have dropped off the butt kicks, knees ups and all of the other dynamic stuff I used to do. Am I the odd one out here? Please share your secrets 👍
Some of the set piece runs have runners gyrating to loud music pre start; but dad dancing and scaring the wild life near the visitors centre is likely to lead to social isolation and would definitely scare the wildlife! So what does everyone do?
I am ok on in-between run maintenance; every other day massage ball, muscle warm up and then stretches, plus a weekly swim..and Molly walks of course. But, that leads me to another question; how does anyone with a young family and/or job fit all of this in?
Enough of my rambling. It is long run Monday for me, so I am off to listen to CB’s directions and by way of entertainment I will keep a look out for returning migrant birds. That said, it is blowing a gale again, so maybe they will all have the sense to be tucked up warm somewhere. We can learn a lot from nature!
Over to you!
Our best wishes to anyone who is IC or otherwise prevented from running at the moment; please tell us all about that too. Hope everyone has the best week they can.
From your team
Irishprincess linda9389 and Beachcomber66
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🎽For races/events in February, go here to give us the details:
I only ever do a warm up walk Beachcomber66 I now want to do some butt kicks though 🤣Marathon training has started so I won’t risk it. We have another extreme heatwave coming this week. Go away Summer heat now please.
I did learn a long distance running fact today. 1984 was the first year that Women were allowed to run the marathon in the Olympics. I’ve been watching the US Olympic trials. Inspiring stuff.
I think you have hit the nail on the head RunWillie. I am sure that fear of causing an injury through doing something unusual lies at the heart of this for me. So, for today’s long run I gave it go! I looked around; nobody was watching, in fact there was nobody in sight, so I tried a few experimental butt kicks and knees ups at the end of my warm up walk! I don’t know whether they made any difference to the run, but at least they don’t seem to have done any harm! Maybe I am still carrying some of the taboos from C25k; easy to forget that we are so much stronger now.
As for the Olympics, I am shocked that there was no women’s participation in an Olympic Marathon until 1984. Thankfully lots of things have moved on since then; still a way to go though! Hope your training goes well.👍
Thanks Beachcomber66 👍🏻& well done on the butt kicks 🤣
I’m excited about Marathon training. The extra training will certainly be a juggle with my life. Got an early start on my first long run tomorrow to fit it in.
At least it might be a little cooler RW, but I suspect it will be really warm anyway. The 11 degrees we are enjoying up here is ideal for me. I hope your run goes well.🙂
Hello Beachcomber66 , excellent barista skills in your Scilly coffee shop. It doesn’t work like that when I try it at home.
I used to do just a 5 min walk before running, but roseabi pointed us to a YouTube 4 minute warm up on one of the fastest 1k challenges. I can’t find it now but it is 20 alternate knee raises, 20 squats, 20 swing legs back and fore and 20 swing legs side to side. It does help get things looser.
Today I did JogRunSprint for the first time in ages. It was a bit difficult running into the 30 mph wind, and the pace chart does me no justice but I know I worked harder on the runs and sprints!
Hello Dexy5. The cafe owner is Italian; she has innate talent I think.
It was roseabi that got me into this long distance stuff in the first place, bless her 🙂. Thanks for the info. I did a few butt kicks and knees ups this morning. I will look up the others you mention. You will know this, but all of the NRC intervals runs start with a steady 5 minutes warm up run, pause for stretches, then off you go at 5k speed. The long runs are just start off slow/ make the first 1k your slowest. So you are left to imply that more care is needed on shorter faster runs; which makes sense. We will see.
This morning was just 6.44k run. I had a choice; up hills for the first 2k and into a wind blowing from 26mph to 43 mph, or head for the comparative shelter of the woods. I went for option 1. I am really glad that I did….now that it is over!
Hi BC! My cup of builder’s tea doesn’t look so enticing now!
I very occasionally do yoga before going out for a run, but that’s only by coincidence. I’m slightly embarrassed to say I don’t stretch pre or post run, let alone do any of those energetic looking moves like some people like to do. A brisk (and not very long) warmup walk does it for me.
I own a foam roller though (don’t use it) and if I have no one to talk to at PR I might do a wobbly quad stretch to kill time.
😂 I don’t do telling off! The fact is that your injury record is probably better than any of us. You deliberately run well within your capacity, enjoy it, and emerge ready for the next challenge as if you had been for a walk in the park. Turbo diesel Cheeky! You are an amazing runner 🙂
You’re very kind BC. I do love running on my terms. The only person who can tell me to change pace is Coach B (and his pals)! I’ll hop back onto the HM Plan once I’ve finished C25K and get my fix of intervals. They always make me smile! 😀
I love intervals on NRC; what’s more I think they actually work. That is the reason I went back to week 1 of the NRC HM plan; so that I can take a bit more pace into the longer distances. I really want an HM PB this year if everything falls into place.
They’re great aren’t they BC? Lots of variety too, and all surprisingly doable.
I’m running the Cardiff HM in October and because I’ll actually be training for it this year, I’m hoping for a better time too. Not sure it’ll be a PB, but as long as I improve on last year where I hadn’t trained at all, that’s all I’m after. 😀
Hard core as ever missw. As you know, the NRC intervals have a 5 minute warm up run and time for some stretches built in. They do mix them up a bit. Saturday was 9 x 1 minute 30 intervals at 5k pace and one at 1 mile pace to. Thursday is intervals too, 33 minutes of it including 5 mins warm up. Just 3x7 minute intervals at 5k pace. Stamina building I guess.
Yesterday was wet and really windy up here; threw a 2k long hill into the equation just for fun! Character building! 😀 Still, come the spring we will be flying; well, you will at least 🙂
I like a long warm-up so as I jog to the start of my intervals I do some stretches etc If it’s really cold I do some physical jerks in the hall before opening the front door 🙂. I don’t like those intervals that you describe as they seem to take an eternity. 10! 😱
Like you I’m not shirking the speed intervals and tempo run on my plan (much as I’d like to)😁. The thought of doing them is worse than the reality and they’re never as bad as I fear ☺️
Throwing in a hill while you’re already out there makes sense to me -and it’s free strength - so I’m all in on the idea💪
Roll on Spring 🙂. It does feel Spring-like out there today. I’ve been out with the dog and there’s no wind and it’s not raining. Yay! 🙂 Speaking of being ready, I found the run pause on my Garmin watch yesterday and the NRC app. Go me ☺️🏃♀️
The 10 intervals were ok; short and fast(ish). The cafe lady (who also runs) thought I was crazy (punishing myself!) for taking on an exposed hill route in a gale gusting up to 43 mph on Monday; but I agree, these things are great stamina builders…assuming I survive the run of course! My watch and the app auto pause; I don’t remember having to set them, but it was 6 years ago when I bought my watch!
My pre-run warm-up routines have become lazy over the years too, and that's something I'm consciously trying to improve in this regime.
Although, I do tend to have a focus for each run (more than just run structure), but an aspect of running I want to bring to the fore. I go through this during the warm-up walk.
It sounds good, but to be honest it's pretty much just being cold and tired at 5am, telling myself this is a "mentality" run.
I am with you on having a particular focus for each run. Today it was about not avoiding an uphill first 2k and winds up to 43mph in my face. I knew it would blow VO2max, take me into the red zone for a big chunk of the run and not be particularly pleasant, but I thought that it would be more help my in my quest to build up pace and distance together than a cosy sheltered 4 miles. Most things look better after a good cup of coffee!👍
Hi Beachcomber, I can't think about running at this second as I am distracted by memories of many happy holidays, cups of coffee and glasses of wine in beautiful sunsets, spent in the Isles of Scilly. It's such a beautiful place and well worth the travelling time and difficulties to enjoy it.
My pre-run routine definitely needs a warm up if not an overhaul! It's a very short walk and maybe a few squats or walking lunges and a slow start on the shorter runs. I prefer to volunteer rather than run at Parkrun. I expect I would warm up with a very slow run and stretches if I was chasing a 5k PB.
I do warm up for my longer runs with my running group - a short trot round the park, leg raises, butt kicks, a few squats and leg stretches. It seems like CB would not be pleased with me!
I don't think the warm up helped much today though, the wind made it really tough going (yet again!) Plus there was a long sneaky hill at 9 miles. We did 11 miles in total and I was glad to finish. I was going to register for the Manchester half tonight, but I think I might wait til tomorrow.
I'm off now to dream about warm and sunny days in the IOS. Have a good week, running or not. 😊
Hi BC! Those coffees look great (to a non coffee drinker who is getting better at it!).
Well, I'm glad ythings are going well BC, but I'm sorry to say I'm very much on the IC.
I am in NZ. We have a complicated itinerary that we put together ourselves. The cornerstone of said itinerary is four NZ parkruns. Two full weeks after my leg issue rearing it's ugly head again, I attempted Whangarei parkrun (no. 1 on our tour). Within a few steps I knew it was a mistake, so .... I continued (talk about do what I say, not what I do!). The rest of the day I was at an 8 out of 10 level of pain, but the itineray must go on!!!
Today was a mega hike day - one of the top ten one day hikes, as rated by National Geographic. Amost 900m elevation (all the way up and then all the way down again), 19.4k. Of course I did it (thank you naproxen, thank you voltarol, apologie for doubling up!).
This coming weekend is Wellington parkrun. I'm meeting up with fellow VRB lexi6 and I'm really looking forward to it. I may have to walk, but I'll be there!
Do I stretch before a run? Not enough. After? Not enough.
Do I get injured? yes!
Could I do better? yes!
Am I going to grab the opportunities in front of me? yes!
Should I try harder? absolutely yes!!!
All I can say is, please do as I say, not as I do 🙈
And to all IC occupants, here's to the comeback!!!
Really bad news Linda! IC is a miserable place to be. At this point I would be in “what is going on?” mode. I would want an X-ray and a scan to look for anything structural, and depending upon the outcome, a physio or similar; it may be one of those cases where building up the muscle around the joint (beyond the norm) is called for, but it’s guesswork without pictures? But, that is the way I am made, always looking for a way to fix things quickly and, in most cases, being awful at letting rest and time do the work. Faults of a different kind 🙂. I would have answered most of your “questions to self” in the same way; I am better than I used to be though, and I have fewer injury problems these days 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞😬
Enjoy NZ, and say hi to lexi6 for us 👋👋👋. You will beat this 😘
I'd love to get to the bottom of it BC. I struggle to justify the cost though, and my one and only visit to our NHS physio was a disaster (she wanted me to do calf raises for plantar faciitis when I actually had a metatarsal stress fracture - ouch). But as it seems to be a recurring issue I think I will try to see someone once I'm back home. One way or another I'll be back 😍
At some races they have quite energetic warmups on offer and I always think that I should do more when I next run but part of the fun of the group warm up is the music and general “togetherness” and doing it on your own doesn't have the same appeal.
Having said that I always warm up with at least a 5 minute brisk walk or, when it’s cold, 10 minutes. In really cold weather I’ll do various moves inside before heading out to do my walk. I use to do the leg swings and butt kicking, etc but my osteopath told me not to do those when I was recovering from my hip injury and I haven't gone back to them. But every day, whether I run or not, I do various moves for my back and shoulders because they get tight easily.
After a run I always stretch. But having done ballet in my youth I have always stretched anyway even before I was a runner. It’s amazing how many aches and niggles stretching relieves.
Right, I’m off now to make a coffee and then do some gentle exercises before heading out for my run!
Pre gardening exercises too then 🙂. Your stretches will be really elegant and not accompanied with clenched teeth 😬.
After my last physio with rock solid calf, quad and hamstring muscles, my physio gave me a few stretches to try at home. I always warm up with something dynamic, and then hit the stretches. Eventually I manage to touch my toes! She also showed me how to use a massage ball properly; put it in your hand, grasp tightly and work it hard into any knots. I do all this on “rest days” . It has definitely helped. What I am trying to get around to is warming up better pre run with the aim of making the massage ball redundant. 🙂
Hi BC. Very interesting what people do to warm up before a run. I do yoga Friday, Saturday and Sunday and T'ai Chi on a Wednesday evening. This I find manages to counteract any stiffness incurred by long runs. I run 4-5 times a week. But because of all the yoga and taichi sessions I just do a simple warm up walk for 5 mins before every run. So I guess what I'm saying is that it's important to stretch and keep nice and loose as much as you can, not just directly before a run. I ran my first 10Km yesterday yippee!!!!!! So joined this forum today. It looks great...regards to all 🙂🙂🙂
Congratulations on your first 10k taichi1. I saw that as a really special run. Just for information, I ran my first 10 mile run 7 months after my first 10k and my first HM a month after that. Remember that I am ancient though! I didn’t speed up my 10k pace until months after I did that HM. Taking account of my age I thought distance first and pace later. I agree with you about maintaining flexibility at any time. Your regime is amazing! What I am wondering about (actually I have now decided) is the need to warm up through dynamic exercises immediately pre run, as well as doing all of the post and in between run stuff. I am going to do a more thorough warm up work out immediately before I do any run where I will be running at pace from the start; a 5k for example. We’ll see how it goes!
Thanks BC, it was a special run. Like you, I enjoy the feel of the longer distances as well. When you pass about 3km then the mind really starts to calm down and by about 7-8km thoughts/worries tend to disappear. Apart from thoughts like 'I wonder if that bus has seen me' 😄. I imagine when you go past 10km and up towards HM stage then you are pretty much in a zen like state. So yep I see the appeal for distance and perhaps as Jools2020 said to me yesterday it's possible to do both. Increase distance and speed slowly. Anyway I'm not obsessed with speed it's just the 1 hour mark for 10km is such an appealingly round number.. like 30 mins for 5k. On your other point, I agree with you Pre-run exercises are a very good thing especially if you don't do much stretching away from running. I would highly recommend a yoga or body balance class or 2 though and incorporate that in with running. Anyway enjoy and thanks very much for the reply BC was really nice...Happy Running !!!
Hi BC! I never warm up but I always start my runs very steadily. I also never cool down unless it’s a long run maybe over 10 miles or so. I always used to but a couple years ago I thought I’d see if I felt any different without doing them. So far so good. Basically I’m too impatient to do them but no doubt I’ll eventually pay the price. GTFC does all sorts of leg swingy things though before each run. I stand and watch 🤣🤣🤣
I am sure he is only doing the leg swingy things to entertain you! I am happy with my warm down walk; sitting in the cafe post run on a cold day isn’t good for my though. It is pre run, particularly on shorter runs, where I am going to experiment.
Does the start very steadily apply to park runs? Like intervals, I think that it is shorter quicker runs where some loosening up might help me.
We run to Albert parkrun which is a nice slow mile to warm up and cool down again on the way home. When I’ve been doing my intervals and things like that, I make sure I do 5-10 minutes very steadily first and 5 after 👍🏽
I guess we all need to find out what works. As an experiment I had a go at lots of these exercises last night. I did feel nice and loose when I finished…but closer to falling asleep than going for a run! It should be intervals today, but I have to see the dentist with a troublesome wisdom tooth this morning, so I may not be fit for action 🤞
Thank you for hosting this weekly chat, I shall be very interested to read everyone replies to your warm up question as I have been wondering what others do.
Before I chat about warming up, I must comment that our daughter got married on Saturday a beautiful day indeed. Hopefully some sort of normality will now return.
A while back Dexy5 suggested a 4 minute warm up. She duly sent me a link, thank you again Dexy and I recorded the exercises in my running log and added the link as a bookmark on my laptop. I now see that clicking the link yields a "this video is no longer available" message. Dexy described the video lady as a funny lady, which she was indeed. If I remember correctly the funny lady said that this warm up was suitable both prior to a run or a walk. I see from Dexy's reply to this thread that the link was recommended by roseabi which I hadn't realised. I had the video as including (one more exercise than Dexy has listed) a deep breath followed by 20 each of high knees, booty kickers (same as butt kicks I assume), squats, leg swings and lateral swings. The last two completed while holding a support.
I had noticed that my neighbours go straight to running from their houses. I must re-ask my next door neighbour what, if any, routines they perform inside their house before they begin. I am sure we chatted about this ages ago and they do have a routine. At least one of them has run the London marathon. Anyway, I currently do the funny lady's warm up before going outside, add some eccentric heel dips using our stairs, various stretches that feel good not sure of names, lunges, toe touching, walk on tip toes, walk on heels and set off at a very easy pace, but avoid a 5 minute walk (confession indeed) unless my husband comes too. Because sun rise has been so early recently this then delays my venturing out, hopefully ensuring more daylight running. Currently just my longer W/E run is before breakfast. I have recently preferred to warm up inside and then just run from our door.
So that gave one confession (no longer going a 5 minute warm up walk) second confession coming up. When choosing a Nike Running Club speed run I have been continuing with the funny lady warm up and my very few stretches before the speed run gentle jog warm up. Then when the press pause and stretch moment arrives, I ignore it and just carry on with the run assuming that my warm up/stretch a very little at home routine was enough. What do those of you using some Nike Running Club speed runs do at the press pause instruction?
Should add that knee, hamstring and Achilles all seem happy with my current routine. Still keep away from effort 8, 9 or 10 .
Hello>61. A lovely event for you and your family on Saturday; wonderful. An extended period of chilling out is definitely now in order!!
Those pre run exercises look good. Given their origins, that is no surprise!
On the NRC speeds runs, I obediently do the 5 minute warm up run and then do some stretches before hurtling into the first interval. That fits with my physio’s advice/commands 🙂 that you must always warm muscles before stretching. It is my pre long run routine which is really under scrutiny. CB clearly thinks that starting the long run slowly is enough in terms of warm up, given that a warm up is not built into the instructions; but I am going to try to do a bit more after my warm up walk on long runs to see if it makes any difference.
So good to see that the after effects of your fall seem to be a thing of the past.👊 🙂
I was told my knee will never be normal as cartilage (in our meniscus) heals only as scar tissue, not the shock absorber material that it should be. There is still one exercise of my 'old original Canadian airforce ones' that I leave out and from experience high intensity and or weights cause problems. I am currently endeavouring to work within certain constraints. It is a joy to run without niggles and not feed the need to concentrate on physio exercises for particular problem areas.
Great post Beachcomber66 I do the same short pre and post run stretches because I've not had a running injury in over 3 years so psychologically I feel better for doing them. I do always go out steady and then my pace 'finds itself' depending on the run I'm doing. I began c25k evenings after work so it's something I'm used to. I do like weekend running though as I can go after breakfast which I greatly prefer. I've always viewed my running as part of my day rather than something extra and that helps. I'm off next week and I'll be taking Tasha to Essex for a few days so we're looking forward to running by the sea 🙂 Take care my friend.
Hi BC. These days I just do a short warmup walk to start my runs and then sometimes a cooldown walk at the end. I usually do a few knee ups before actually running. (My neighbours already think I’m a bit off so no great loss there🙂) I usually do some ham and calf stretches on the porch stairs before coming back in the house. For me personally, this system works.
I am a few weeks into my training for Ottawa now and it’s going well. The temps are cold but not bitterly freezing this week. The long runs are around 21k now, mixed with 3 other short weekly runs. Intervals and hills are traded each week. And a strength workout mixed in on Thursdays (usually). Life has been a bit stressful lately so the runs are helping on that front too.
Hope everyone is doing well. Hope you enjoyed your week!
Thanks Decker; everyone is so kind and generous in sharing experiences; this week has been fine thanks. You have been here so you know. It was good being able to choose the topic for discussion; I have learned a lot this week🙂.
The marathon build up seems to be going really well for you. I hope life doesn’t intrude on your runs too much! I know that you can get ridiculously low temperatures and mammoth snow falls over there, but Canadians are really can do people and manage somehow.
Great to hear from you; I hope the pressures ease; running is a great refuge from our problems… which is why we hate being IC so much. We, the HU horde, are all cheering you on from this side of the Atlantic and beyond . 🙂
I'm falling behind here but enjoying reading what everyone else does.Thanks for hosting Beachcomber66 and have fun with your experiments,
Stretching, strength, running, all on pause for me, the world is spinning and I'm getting a little tired of sitting but it's the most comfortable thing.
After 7 days hanging on the phone, filling in online forms and getting friendly with surgery receptionists I've finally got antibiotics so hopefully spinning will stop and I'll be able to hear again.
Generally though I stick with the 5 minute warm up and cool down walks, at home I jump about a bit and do squats, walk about on toes and heels bend and stretch a bit, I've started doing most of those holding my kettle bell lately,
Have a good rest of week and hope everyone has good runs 😁
Hello Sue; room spin was common in student days…..but not now! Any spin/balance issues are awful; they can come from nowhere and don’t seem anxious to leave once they have taken hold. I hope the antibiotics do the trick. I started a course today too; a wisdom tooth which I think will have to be extracted some time soon. Something to look forward to!
Molly and I have the house to ourselves this afternoon, so whilst she sleeps off her lunchtime sausage from the cafe, I will have another go at these exercises…trying to get to a point where I can do them outside without looking a complete idiot….not that I am particularly worried about that. There may be some last vestiges of pride lurking somewhere, but they are well hidden. The exercise suggestions VRBs have made make sense and look to be doable for the most part.
I hope that you have your running shoes on again soon.👍
Hello BC! It dawned on me earlier on in the week that I need to ‘Follow’ you as I didn’t get the Weekly Chat email…but then I blinked and it’s Thursday evening! So that partly answers one of your questions 😅
My pre-run is still just the 5 minute walk but sometimes I do a bit of yoga. I’m not one for the fancy plyometrics as I feel very silly, but I do try to stretch when I get home. I don’t do butt kicks, they hurt more than my butt 😆 As for the rituals, they happen when I brush my teeth - in the morning I roll a knobbly ball under my feet whilst I brush, in the evening I do heal raises. The heal raises have done an amazing job and I’m hoping the ball is warding off plantar fasciitis. I could do with brushing my teeth 3 times a day so I can do single leg squats but I think my teeth would get upset.
As for my running…I’ll be so happy when this weather gets better and we get a bit of daylight in the morning and evening. Enough already!!! I’m busy trying to get my mileage up for a HM on the 25th. I’ve got to 10 miles on Sunday despite feeling poorly on Saturday and my most of my shoes being in need of replacement. The last 3k were a slog but my route was quite lumpy. If I can do a bit more than that this coming Sunday I’ll be happy. I’ll be even happier when I’ve done some successful retail therapy!
Hmm…oat milk cappuccinos - have you ever had one? 😋
Never had an oat milk cappuccino. They may not have penetrated this far north 🙂.
You know without any comment from me that you are well on track for a HM on the 25th.
You put your finger on another issue. Over the years I have been “prescribed” heel raises (for calves) eccentric heel dips (for Achilles) knobbly ball rolling (for foot pain), scrunching towels for an ankle issue etc etc; all targetted remedial exercises really ….. but I have dropped all of those off as the problems they were aimed at have disappeared. The exercises/ stretches I do now (or am planning to do in a warm up) are aimed at flexibility (because my leg muscles get really tight following intervals in particular) and I am hoping that they, plus my massage ball, will stop the problems I used to have developing….so prevention rather than cure. A theory which may only hold up until I hit the next problem requiring my physio! Anyway, I am on cookery duty now; stroganoff!!
Hope everything keeps going in the right direction for you….I expect Ernie is still asleep?
Yes, prevention before the need for cure, I’m with you there BC. I only heard about the towel scrunching thing this week, I think I need that one too. Need to think of another time to do it rather than brushing my teeth! My last problem was caused by my shoes, so that was quite easy to fix, hence the shoe thing - 2 pairs of Brooks Ghosts and a pair of Saucony Speed 2s go bye-bye 👋 You never know what’s going to come up next but I’d like to think that after 6 years of this we have quite a good handle on it now eh? 🤞
Hope your stroganoff was good. I was in the middle of spag bol when I typed my first reply out. That was pretty nice, even if I do say myself 😋 You’ve got to try an oat cappuccino though BC, they are sooooo nice 😋😋
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Weekly Chat: March 30th - April 5th 😊🏃♀🏃♂