Running?

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Talula

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Any runners in here?

I took up running at the start of January by accident (long story!) and have been bitten by the bug!

I've also seen a really cool aquathlon (750m swim then 5k run) in April that I'm thinking about signing up for (although I'm not sure about the transition!)

So, do you guys run? What distance? Any advice for an aquathlon?
 
I used to run several times a week when I lived in another city that was close to a cork track. Circumstances changed and I got out of the habit. Now I live in another city, but its a long distance to a cork track, so its an excuse I use to not run, but I may just get some better shoes and run along the water front park and see if I don't kill my knees.
 
Maxx said:
Used to, but I'm several ankle sprains over the lifetime limit. Can't put in the training miles needed to race. Mostly cycling these days. Swim some as well, although my shoulder won't let me go more than a couple thousand meters at a time.

Cross country and track back in college, marathons, duathlons and triathlons (including several Iron distance) since.

Getting old sucks. All those injuries I powered through over the decades are catching up to me.

Anyway, if you're a competent swimmer, 750m is just about perfect warmup distance for the 5k. For best swim performance, you'd also want to get 400m in before the gun to get your heartrate and circulation up to operating speed. Assuming you have access to the water for warmups. Going from zero to fullspeed in a second is ugly and painful.

Transition? Run in your swimsuit, presumably speedo or compression shorts. No socks, elastic laces in your shoes. Lace locks are OK too if you can't find elastic laces. Tying shoes is wasted time. Talc or footpowder in the shoes if you're worried about friction. 5k is short enough that shouldn't be a big problem. Test the arrangement in a few workouts beforehand.

Be prepared for pain. At that short a distance, you're going to be in the redzone for pretty much all of it.

P.S. If you consider the swim distance a challenge, the best thing you could do is find lessons or a swim clinic between now and then. Swimming is more about technique and efficiency than anything else. Unless you were a collegiate swimmer, improving your stroke will buy you more speed than all the thousands of laps you could do between now and April.

Hey, thanks for the advice! The swimming I'm not at all concerned about. I'm fairly sure I can get my swim time down to a fairly fast MOP (and luckily this isn't a major event, more a start of season warm-up). I regularly swim a mile or two in the pool for fun.

In terms of the transition - do female runners also just run in their costumes? Early April in Scotland is bloody cold, and I'm really worried about running with wet hair etc. I'm thinking maybe a fleecey headband, a light sweatshirt and leggings to over my costume?

I'm going to do my next training session tomorrow morning with no socks on and talc in my shoes to see if that works ok for me :)
 
Maxx said:
In triathlon, yes. Remember that women are typically blessed with more insulation. High heart rate, short distance, shouldn't be a problem. That said, pay attention to the forecast and know thyself. I recall a long duathlon in Chicago... Start temp mid-60's. Shortly after getting on the bike in my Speedo and Styrofoam hat, the wind shifted off Lake Michigan, and I had to ride 40 miles in mid 40's temps at 25-30 mph before the final 8 mile run. Not pleasant.

Ouch! That doesn't sound fun! Yeah, I think I'm going to put on a layer or two, and if I get too hot I can always tie them round my waist! It's a coastal route, in an area that people go to for kite surfing, so it's pretty windy all the time, so I reckon prepare for the cold and be happy if it's not :)

Thanks :)
 
Another runner here. I run on average, about 30 miles a week. It's always been good for me. Gives me an excuse to go outside, see parts of town I wouldn't normally see, don't have to pay a gym membership to exercise, and I enjoy the runners high afterwards.
 
gsmax said:
Another runner here. I run on average, about 30 miles a week. It's always been good for me. Gives me an excuse to go outside, see parts of town I wouldn't normally see, don't have to pay a gym membership to exercise, and I enjoy the runners high afterwards.

It's a brilliant feeling, isn't it? Afterwards! I always feel knackered but also so full of energy!

I think it's great for my mental health as well. It's a reason to go out every day if I'm not at work that day, gets me fresh air, and exercise is good for everyone!
 
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