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Busybird

Race for Life

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My DD has been having a bit of a hard time socially at school recently so, when she brought home her Race for Life entry form (she ran it with school last year) she asked me to enter as well to keep her company - and I said I would :doh:

 

I tried running before and wrecked my knees. I walk a lot and do a daily aerobic workout with yoga and pilates type exercises so am not totally unfit but I don't want to spend the money on running shoes.

 

The race is in June and will be on mixed terrain. If I did a gentle build up off road do you think I could get away with wearing my old cross trainers? If I am just asking for trouble trying to run then I will walk the route but my DD can run the distance (she does cross country with school) and I don't want to let her down.

 

I can see you all saying that I need proper running shoes but I haven't the money for them. Can anyone think of a way around this?

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don't know much about running shoes. When I did the Race For Life a few years ago, I switched between walking, jogging and running all the way around. I know there were quite a few people walking all the way. I just wore whatever trainers I had at the time. I found the course was so crowded you couldn't run very well anyway.

 

Good luck and well done for entering :clap:

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OSH said

I wouldn't worry about shoes. You could get round 5K in wellies
:lol::lol:

 

That's okay then - footwear sorted :lol::lol:

 

I guess 5K is a very short distance to most but I would struggle to run up our road :roll:

 

I am considering training in the dark in case anyone I know see's me... :anxious:

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Good for you.

 

I have seen people doing it in flipflops before now! You'll be fine.

 

Each race has a different course terrain - the one at Silverstone is on the track, so very flat; while the one I do is on very hilly and rough ground. Enjoy it, however you do it and I hope that your daughter does too. :D 'tis only 5km and a nice stroll if you don't feel like running.

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I agree that you don't need to go to the expense of new trainers. Loads of people run-walk so don't feel the need to put your poor old knees under too much pressure. You DD may well find that it would be better to start off together while you have the puff and then go off and complete without you. She can then jog back to give you words of encouragement.

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Well done for agreeing to enter! I'm v impressed.

The only thing is for training for the race - you probably don't want to be jogging much in older, less suitable shoes particualrly if you already have slightly dodgy knees. Maybe look for an alternative for training - dunno, how about cycling? Swinmming?

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Well done for entering. You'll probably last longer if you run slowly. I'm over 50, overweight and haven't run since I left school. I have tried a couple of times and failed miserably. I have just recently joined the Womens running network, who have started a beginners class nearby. We run each week and have built up from running a minute and walking 2 in the first week to week 4 this week where we ran 6 minutes and walked for 1 minute 4 times. The aim is that by the end of 10 weeks we will be able to run for 30 minutes non stop. I am at the back of the group and run very slowly, but am managing to do it each time. It is unbelievable! It might be worth looking to see if there is something similar near to you, then you could amaze your daughter!

 

Jenny

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If running wrecks your knees then don't do it. Just walk round. You'll still finish ahead of quite a few of the runners, without all the anguish. Walking provides you with most of the fitness benefits of running but without the risk of aggravating an existing injury.

 

You should still get some new shoes though - you need to replace your shoes every six months for aerobics or gym work, even if they aren't mucky, as the cushioning will have gone.

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Thanks for all your positive responses. I am feeling a bit better about entering - less of a fraud if plenty of others walk - especially in flip flops, high heels or wellies :lol:

 

The Race I have entered is in Bath and DD tells me that she can't run flat out anyway because of the crowds, queues at gates and stiles and so on :roll:

 

I think that I will up my aerobic workout at home (which I do barefoot on carpet Docsquid) and see how my knees hold out. If that is okay then I will try a few trial jogs around the local fields. I have plenty of time to build up slowly and we are only talking 5K.

 

I am overweight and the least active in the family so I guess I would just like to be able to run even some of the distance - for my own satisfaction as well as to support my DD. Whether I would have the courage to run amongst others even if I could is another question altogether...

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A colleague last year went around pushing a pram... Through mud, rabbit holes, you name it!!

 

Really wouldn't worry about walking - it is one of those events that is definitely all about the getting out and taking part rather than what time you finish in.

 

The number of people last year with names of friends and/or family on their back who are either won their fight, fighting or lost their fight to cancer - was a real inspiration and brought a tear to two to my eye.

 

I must hunt out when our local one is to enter again this year....

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Well Ive gone & registered for the race for life so have between now & 27th June to be able to run 5k.

 

There is a group of us doing it & I have some articles on training to run 5k in 8 weeks so really have no excuse.

 

Ill start planning my training just after Ive finished this bit of cake :oops:

 

RR x

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well i did mine Sunday and it had a brilliant atmosphere, we walked along with approx 2000 of 2800 people walking, i was worried about feeling lazy walking as i do alot of walking and could have easily walked longer but it was SOOOO hot!! very emotional reading peoples signs on their backs. But alot of laughs along the way too!! am going to do it every year now hopefully. Also aprt from a few runners at the front it wasn't a race!

Interesting comment about the running lessons as i haven't run for about 40years but would be fun to try!

 

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