The very beginning - trail running.

[Euphorbia]

Here I am. Going ahead with plans of trail running.

Basically looking for some direction from those with experience. Will be continuing with my walk / run / walk / between telephone poles (on the grass verge) for 4 km starting tomorrow. (2 month break).

I am 48 years old in a few weeks, have lost 7 kg (no carbs) with 6 kg more to lose. These I will lose I am sure with no carbs and running.

My first goal is to run the entire 4 km, then 5km, then look for a 5km trail run enter. After that how do I go about getting ready for those 20/30/50km runs? Any programmes/ info sources etc. And what time frame should I be looking at. Oh and what about agility? Running on the grass verge has helped me prepare for snakes - I keep my eyes peeled for dogs poop which substitute mentally for a snake lying in ambush . .

By the way I am at sea level with beach, forest and small hills.

Any comments or advice are welcome!
Thanks.

[baldy]

I used to do a fair bit of trail running. Sounds like you are very much on the right track with your run/walking between poles, that is a great way to be able to get up to running fitness.

Once you can run 5km comfortably, then you should start looking for a 10km race. Then a half marathon, this way you can gradually build up and always have a achievable goal.

The general rule is not to increase you training distance by more than 10%, this goes for total mileage over a week and longest session you run. This is what most people use to avoid getting injured, as it gives your body time to adapt to the increased load.

What is your training plan like at the moment? Hopefully a few of the runners here will jump on and give you further advice. Have you thought about starting a training log?

[skoptic]

Hey Euphorbia Good work on the running .. and keeping it off-road

A couple of thing on your current plan - it's great that you are run walking, you need to build up those muscles / tendons etc which can take longer to handle the stress than your heart and lungs. Be aware that no carbs and running can help lose weight - but can leave you feeling pretty drained at times! Also - you might be putting ON weight through building muscle, so as your running increases, you don't always see your weight dropping off on the scales (don't worry - the mirror tells you the truth).

Running on trails is great as is works a bit more of your body (all that dodging and weaving) .. so some core muscle exercises and ankle exercises can help (links below).

Good work on your long term goals with distance - but your biggest obstacle to overcome is getting there uninjured (it's not that everyone gets injured, or that it's easy to get injured, but people have a habit of getting a bit carried away and increase their mileage too quickly). 10% extra per week, like baldy says.. which sounds boring, but gets you where you want to go safely and without a month on the sofa falling out of the habit! A 10K is the good next step and you'll have a better idea of how your body is reacting to increased miles

You can find a lot of training plans at Runners World (.com or .co.uk.. maybe there's an SA one too). You can look at plans which are for a specific distance or that match the number of runs you do per week. But don't pick a plan because you like the race finish time and ignore the fact that it increases your distance by 50% in the 1st week!

Here's some training plans from Runners World

5K - http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7 ... -0,00.html
10K - http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7 ... -0,00.html

Article about trail running exercises

http://strengthrunning.com/2010/05/trai ... -training/
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7 ... -0,00.html

Happy Running!

[veganlisa]

Hi Euphorbia

Sounds like we have similar goals regarding trail running. I cannot run regularly on pavement anymore after experiencing a stress fracture in my hip about a year and a half ago. I was actually afraid to start running again until a couple of weeks ago. I'm on a treadmill right now, but I hope to be out on some dirt trails soon. I'm using the 10% rule as a guideline, but really just listening to my body. If I feel like I need an extra rest day, I take it, regardless of whether it was in my "plan" or not.

Good luck with your training. I look forward to seeing your progress.

[Euphorbia]

Thanks everyone for the advice and information! That is sound advice that I really needed in order to visualize my way forward. Will follow all leads and keep in touch as I go along. Am being conservative and cautious as I really do not want to be put out of action in any way!

Again big thanks - great not to feel so alone!
Later!

[Hiking Fox]

with no carbs and running.

!

No carbs and sitting down all day = OK

No carbs and running = WTF?!

[Euphorbia]

[quote="Hiking Fox"][quote="Euphorbia"] with no carbs and running. [/quote]

!

No carbs and sitting down all day = OK

No carbs and running = WTF?![/quote]

http://www.health24.com/fitness/Diet_Su ... ,73175.asp

This is what I am trying. Pregnancy, being 48 and heading toward menopause have changed my metabolism. Have literally starved myself to lose excess 10kg over the last 3 years with NO effect except exhaustion and intense hunger etc. Since cutting out carbs (grains, bread, rice, potatoes,etc.) I am losing consistently, have lots of energy, am not hungry and feel really great! I realise that the high protein thing suggests the antithesis of a vegan diet. I am trying it my way - making it vegan even if the carbs are in the vegetables - it is working for me so far. If getting those 10km runs under my belt means boosting the oils and squash/bean/butternut intake I will do it. But I certainly think the traditional source of carbs is out for me.

Have a look at the article. It really is interesting and don't be put off by the references to meat etc.
It can all be adapted.