The athletics/running thread

[Gary the Enfield]

Open water swimming again tonight in the pissing rain. 1500 meters followed by a 2k sprint around the lake.

Felt really strong after Sundays tri race.

Nice one. Any thunder and lightening this time?!

No. Just persistent rain. Still good fun though.

[Gooner Girl]

Open water swimming again tonight in the pissing rain. 1500 meters followed by a 2k sprint around the lake.

Felt really strong after Sundays tri race.

Nice one. Any thunder and lightening this time?!

No. Just persistent rain. Still good fun though.

Sounds it! Still not sure how you can sprint 2km though!

[Gary the Enfield]

Open water swimming again tonight in the pissing rain. 1500 meters followed by a 2k sprint around the lake.

Felt really strong after Sundays tri race.

Nice one. Any thunder and lightening this time?!

No. Just persistent rain. Still good fun though.

Sounds it! Still not sure how you can sprint 2km though!

It's relative. I ran as fast as I could out of the water. Covered 2 k in just over 8 minutes.

[Gooner Girl]

Open water swimming again tonight in the pissing rain. 1500 meters followed by a 2k sprint around the lake.

Felt really strong after Sundays tri race.

Nice one. Any thunder and lightening this time?!

No. Just persistent rain. Still good fun though.

Sounds it! Still not sure how you can sprint 2km though!

It's relative. I ran as fast as I could out of the water. Covered 2 k in just over 8 minutes.

I know - and that's pretty impressive considering you had just done a swim, when I swam 1000m last week my legs felt like jelly after I got out, it was as much as I could do to stumble to the shower, let alone sprint 2km!

[Gary the Enfield]

Oh aye. Superman me.

[Gooner Girl]

Oh aye. Superman me.

Do you wear your underpants over your wet suit?!

And be careful as you try and squeeze your head through the door

[Gary the Enfield]

Oh aye. Superman me.

Do you wear your underpants over your wet suit?!

And be careful as you try and squeeze your head through the door

I am, of course being self-deprecating. But I do love what I do and that I'm able to do it.

[Gooner Girl]

Oh aye. Superman me.

Do you wear your underpants over your wet suit?!

And be careful as you try and squeeze your head through the door

I am, of course being self-deprecating. But I do love what I do and that I'm able to do it.

Yes, yes, I know. But you haven't answered the all important underpants question!

[Gary the Enfield]

Oh aye. Superman me.

Do you wear your underpants over your wet suit?!

And be careful as you try and squeeze your head through the door

I am, of course being self-deprecating. But I do love what I do and that I'm able to do it.

Yes, yes, I know. But you haven't answered the all important underpants question!

That's for me to know and you to ponder.

[Gooner Girl]

Yes, yes, I know. But you haven't answered the all important underpants question!

That's for me to know and you to ponder.

Ooh Clark Kent, you are such a tease...

Anyway, I also swam a bit today too, but probably not enough to make up for the 2 portions of ice cream I had.

[KeyserSoze]

Lower backs.

Could anyone recommend some lower back exercises/stretches? Was at the gym at the weekend and when i tried to do leg raises, after about six or so, the pressure on my back became unbearable. The gym person said i needed to stretch it out, do more core stuff, in order to take the pressure of it. But it still feels a bit twingey. Thoughts?

[jaffka]

The Plank.

[thebish]

Lower backs.

Could anyone recommend some lower back exercises/stretches? Was at the gym at the weekend and when i tried to do leg raises, after about six or so, the pressure on my back became unbearable. The gym person said i needed to stretch it out, do more core stuff, in order to take the pressure of it. But it still feels a bit twingey. Thoughts?

pilates? I think there is a pilates DVD specifically for lower back pain....

[Gary the Enfield]

Lower backs.

Could anyone recommend some lower back exercises/stretches? Was at the gym at the weekend and when i tried to do leg raises, after about six or so, the pressure on my back became unbearable. The gym person said i needed to stretch it out, do more core stuff, in order to take the pressure of it. But it still feels a bit twingey. Thoughts?

pilates? I think there is a pilates DVD specifically for lower back pain....

You need to strengthen your core. However you need to make sure you are supple enough too. Pilates or yoga will help with that. Particularly, I'm told, Bikram Yoga. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 0277,d.ZWU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[LeverEnd]

Lower backs.

Could anyone recommend some lower back exercises/stretches? Was at the gym at the weekend and when i tried to do leg raises, after about six or so, the pressure on my back became unbearable. The gym person said i needed to stretch it out, do more core stuff, in order to take the pressure of it. But it still feels a bit twingey. Thoughts?

I had a similar problem due to anterior pelvic tilt, caused by weak ab core muscles and tight hip flexors pulling the top front part of the pelvis forward. This results in the lower back curving too much (hyperlordosis) and putting unnatural pressure on the lower vertebrae. Weak glutes can also be involved. I found that the following helps:

- gently strengthen the TVA core muscle with floor exercises involving easier bent leg raises while using the TVA to keep the small of your back flat to the floor. When you can no longer hold it flat then stop and move on to the next exercise.
- shoulder bridge using glutes to push hips up and hold (single leg raise to make it harder)
- lunge stretch for upper quads/hip flexors
- cat stretch for the lower back (erector spinae muscles)

That does pretty much what your gym guy recommends and can be done anywhere or in front of the TV daily. It's a little and often approach to begin with, straight leg raises are hard and should be avoided until your core is strong enough to keep the small of the back flat to the floor.
I've had a lot of similar problems and picked stuff up from physios and pilates classes (off to one in 10mins since it's half term).
Good luck.

[LeverEnd]

The Plank.

A runner mate of mine wiped out lower back pain totally just by doing that every day. Really useful exercise.


http://www.livestrong.com/article/42269 ... -workouts/

[Harry Genshaw]

Harrock hill fell race tonight. First time I've done it for a couple of years. It's a great race and a good introduction to fell running. Tonight was the muddiest it's ever been with cows, fallen trees and overgrown bushes to contend with and a good size field of nearly 200. Pretty chuffed with my finishing position, which was well within the top half (my yardstick for allfell races) but I'm still well short of winning a box of vegetables - the prize for topping your age category

[LeverEnd]

Harrock hill fell race tonight. First time I've done it for a couple of years. It's a great race and a good introduction to fell running. Tonight was the muddiest it's ever been with cows, fallen trees and overgrown bushes to contend with and a good size field of nearly 200. Pretty chuffed with my finishing position, which was well within the top half (my yardstick for allfell races) but I'm still well short of winning a box of vegetables - the prize for topping your age category

Nice! You should do the Wincle Trout Fell Race in the Cheshire Peak District that my clubmates are doing on Sat. All finishers take home.... (you've guessed it) a fresh trout.

[Harry Genshaw]

Harrock hill fell race tonight. First time I've done it for a couple of years. It's a great race and a good introduction to fell running. Tonight was the muddiest it's ever been with cows, fallen trees and overgrown bushes to contend with and a good size field of nearly 200. Pretty chuffed with my finishing position, which was well within the top half (my yardstick for allfell races) but I'm still well short of winning a box of vegetables - the prize for topping your age category

Nice! You should do the Wincle Trout Fell Race in the Cheshire Peak District that my clubmates are doing on Sat. All finishers take home.... (you've guessed it) a fresh trout.

Some of the better runners probably never need to go shopping! Given the conditions I think you made the right call giving it a miss tonight, but if we get a dry summer you should definitely do at least one of them. You'd be in with a great shout of being in amongst the vegetables!

[Gooner Girl]

Interesting article...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2 ... -years-ago" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

P.s well done Harry for yesterday but trout? Vegetables? You northerners are a rum lot!