Competitions Health and fitness

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I’m trying to build a better base with myself, not much of steady state runner. Do you race?

I've raced a few times, but I've only done trail races out in like Seville and the Dandenongs. So much fun and less of a focus on actually racing and more on just improving and running in a beautiful part of the world.

I'm more just about getting to run as far as I can without pain and then gradually getting faster over the same distance. Incremental gains. Most of my injuries have come from going too far too fast so it's been such a gradual proces to get experienced enough and understanding your own body to improve without getting hurt

5k can seem so daunting when you're first starting out and I can remember even struggling to get around Cherry Lake in Altona when I first started running. Now 5k seems like nothing. You're obviously training in an elite environment at Carlton but it's always the same sort of thing - run until you get tired, walk until you're not, then run again. Eventually you'll be able to do 3km, the. 4, then 5 etc.
 
I've raced a few times, but I've only done trail races out in like Seville and the Dandenongs. So much fun and less of a focus on actually racing and more on just improving and running in a beautiful part of the world.

I'm more just about getting to run as far as I can without pain and then gradually getting faster over the same distance. Incremental gains. Most of my injuries have come from going too far too fast so it's been such a gradual proces to get experienced enough and understanding your own body to improve without getting hurt

5k can seem so daunting when you're first starting out and I can remember even struggling to get around Cherry Lake in Altona when I first started running. Now 5k seems like nothing. You're obviously training in an elite environment at Carlton but it's always the same sort of thing - run until you get tired, walk until you're not, then run again. Eventually you'll be able to do 3km, the. 4, then 5 etc.
Ohhhh that is cool!

Yeah I’m tryna kinda do the same like run slower for longer so my body can get used to being uncomfortable at the same time trying to get my heart rate lower.

I try to do running sessions with the s&c coach because my running is so inconsistent. I wish at a younger age I took up athletics as well.

I never knew running was this fun
 
Ohhhh that is cool!

Yeah I’m tryna kinda do the same like run slower for longer so my body can get used to being uncomfortable at the same time trying to get my heart rate lower.

I try to do running sessions with the s&c coach because my running is so inconsistent. I wish at a younger age I took up athletics as well.

I never knew running was this fun

Helps to get checked for exercise induced asthma, too.

I only worked out that something was wrong when I was busting out sub 25 min 5km after a shower and on humid days but gassing after 2km in the afternoon without showering. That's the source of my inconsistency and even with some preventatives while the gap between the best and my worst has narrowed it's still not as close as most others.
 

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Helps to get checked for exercise induced asthma, too.

I only worked out that something was wrong when I was busting out sub 25 min 5km after a shower and on humid days but gassing after 2km in the afternoon without showering. That's the source of my inconsistency and even with some preventatives while the gap between the best and my worst has narrowed it's still not as close as most others.
How do I get checked? Lol my mum will think I’m crazy
 
I went to the doc and he sent me to a place that monitors your oxygen while you exercise.

It's probably unlikely given how much sport you play you probably would have noticed by now, but never hurts to get checked.
Yeah thats true, thanks for the idea.

My sports science prac class we hooked ourselves up to a heart rate monitor and a watch and it said I had a VO2 max of 35 and my Garmin says 44.
 
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This one's from a few days ago. As you can see from the elevation stat there's a few hills in this one that kicked my arse 🥵
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You've made me realise it's been ages since I did a long run, I reckon I'll do it again tomorrow. Mine's got quite a few hills as you can see.
KillaKanga that was in November last year, I started in March and could only go about 2km without stopping. I just built it up 500m a day. To be fair, I was reasonably fit from bushwalking and squash, but I have never done running for the sake of it. Like others have suggested I think the trick is consistency, keep setting small incremental goals and definitely don't get fazed by setbacks or if you miss a few days. Just pick it up again when you can.
 
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You've made me realise it's been ages since I did a long run, I reckon I'll do it again tomorrow. Mine's got quite a few hills as you can see.
KillaKanga that was in November last year, I started in March and could only go about 2km without stopping. I just built it up 500m a day. To be fair, I was reasonably fit from bushwalking and squash, but I have never done running for the sake of it. Like others have suggested I think the trick is consistency, keep setting small incremental goals and definitely don't get fazed by setbacks or if you miss a few days. Just pick it up again when you can.

A phenomenal effort. Concerned at the elevation stats though, those are some serious inclines and declines. Are you by chance running in the Swiss Alps?
 
A phenomenal effort. Concerned at the elevation stats though, those are some serious inclines and declines. Are you by chance running in the Swiss Alps?
Nail Can Hill, a nature reserve in Albury. (I actually drive past or near Whereitallbegan on my way there). I'll be curious to see how I go tomorrow because I'm a lot better on the hills now generally.
My favourite part of the run is it goes around the back of the tip and for some reason there's a park bench where you could sit and watch them bulldoze the rubbish and take in the aroma.
Hopefully the weather's clear tomorrow because there are spectacular views of Mt Bogong at certain points.
 

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You've made me realise it's been ages since I did a long run, I reckon I'll do it again tomorrow. Mine's got quite a few hills as you can see.
KillaKanga that was in November last year, I started in March and could only go about 2km without stopping. I just built it up 500m a day. To be fair, I was reasonably fit from bushwalking and squash, but I have never done running for the sake of it. Like others have suggested I think the trick is consistency, keep setting small incremental goals and definitely don't get fazed by setbacks or if you miss a few days. Just pick it up again when you can.
Fair to say I won't be sharing my 'splits' haha TBH I've only run this around the block route 4 times so not sure how far I can go without stopping (1.2km). I also thinking I'm going too fast for my ability. Next run will be longer and on flatter ground.

No run this afternoon though ;) Go Rooboys!!!!!
 
With the amount of sport you seem to do you should be able to do a 5k in your sleep.
I’ve never actually done one before! Im not a good distance runner and covid has made my fitness fluctuate ugh
 
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You've made me realise it's been ages since I did a long run, I reckon I'll do it again tomorrow. Mine's got quite a few hills as you can see.
KillaKanga that was in November last year, I started in March and could only go about 2km without stopping. I just built it up 500m a day. To be fair, I was reasonably fit from bushwalking and squash, but I have never done running for the sake of it. Like others have suggested I think the trick is consistency, keep setting small incremental goals and definitely don't get fazed by setbacks or if you miss a few days. Just pick it up again when you can.
Nice. That's some solid elevation. I'll be doing similar tomorrow in the Dandenongs with a notionally North supporting mate who hadn't run since his teens. We've got him up from doing 5k as his long run to 20 odd (ed - over six months). Hoping to do the Wonderland trail run in the Grampians at the end of the month, lockdown permitting.
 
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I went for a nice slow 30 min recovery run just to get my legs ticking over, I set my watch for a slow target pace between 6:30 - 7:00. My second time holding this pace (using the feature) but this time I didn’t stop, surprisingly I felt more energised towards the end of the run.
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Never been consistently fit, but went from struggling 2 laps at the local footy oval to doing a half marathon within a couple of years.

Not instant, just got to keep it up regularly and slowly buildup and eat well. If I can do it, anyone can.


That being said, been lazy the last few years and not keeping on top of minor niggles. Looking forward to summer again though as I'm bad during winter.
 
Nice. That's some solid elevation. I'll be doing similar tomorrow in the Dandenongs with a notionally North supporting mate who hadn't run since his teens. We've got him up from doing 5k as his long run to 20 odd (ed - over six months). Hoping to do the Wonderland trail run in the Grampians at the end of the month, lockdown permitting.

Speaking of Dandenongs, done the 1000 steps? Man that was brutal when I first did it. Really good way to build up cardio quickly if you go regularly.
 
Speaking of Dandenongs, done the 1000 steps? Man that was brutal when I first did it. Really good way to build up cardio quickly if you go regularly.
They're closed at the moment after the storms and I doubt they'll be open for quite a while but, yeah, I was working them into my runs a couple of months ago (in prep for Grampians trail run, which has oversized rock steps). There are signs up asking you not to run them so sadly (not sadly) I'd power walk them a couple of times mid run. You can still go up to One Tree Hill via Belview Terrace though. Most tracks on the west side of the hill are still open. Also (mostly) less muddy than the east side.
 
I went for a nice slow 30 min recovery run just to get my legs ticking over, I set my watch for a slow target pace between 6:30 - 7:00. My second time holding this pace (using the feature) but this time I didn’t stop, surprisingly I felt more energised towards the end of the run.
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Good work. That's the theory for recovery runs. They're meant to be easy enough that you feel better at the end than you did at the start.
 
Drop the splits when you get back :thumbsu:
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Didn't realise the splits I put up yesterday were from when I turn around after an hour. Ran the full length this morning and took 11 minutes off my previous best time which was satisfying.
Beautiful run, although the tip was a bit whiffier than usual. Running through low cloud on the way out so no views, but the eucalypt forests in fog with the winter sun weakly shining through was eerily beautiful. Saw a robin redbreast I've never seen in that area before too.
On the way back the cloud lifted and there were magnificent views of the Victorian Alps. So much snow, which of course is a bit of a slap in the face for the businesses there, but makes for a great scene from here.
 
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Didn't realise the splits I put up yesterday were from when I turn around after an hour. Ran the full length this morning and took 11 minutes off my previous best time which was satisfying.
Beautiful run, although the tip was a bit whiffier than usual. Running through low cloud on the way out so no views, but the eucalypt forests in fog with the winter sun weakly shining through was eerily beautiful. Saw a robin redbreast I've never seen in that area before too.
On the way back the cloud lifted and there were magnificent views of the Victorian Alps. So much snow, which of course is a bit of a slap in the face for the businesses there, but makes for a great scene from here.
Your HR is so impressive
 

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