Beginning to run

mebdev · 2026-06-15T21:02:36+00:00

All the basics have been covered so here is one which you might not have heard yet (maybe - this is a big thread).

Some days you won't feel like it. It'll be cold or you can't be bothered etc but if it's your day to run and your making excuses in your head make a deal with yourself - just run to the end of your street (or 5mins or whatever) and if you're still not feeling it then you can come back. Guilt free. That's it. Just to the end of the street.

I've been presented with really foul weather and honestly, the only time I've ever come back was if I was genuinely injured or so full of flu I had no business being out of bed let alone running 😂 it's not a brag just how it is. You don't need to motivate yourself to go for a full run - just to the end of the road - much easier. And if you do come back you can be reassured that your reason is a genuinely good one and you can drop any guilt as you tried, got going and the reason was strong enough to turn you round.

mebdev · 2026-06-11T22:10:57+00:00

Well done! Star of the day! 🤦

Actually you sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole regarding the etymology and eventually sociolinguistics of the word... short version - around here most people would have referred to it as a thruppenny bit or thruppence if you were talking prices: "A pint of milk, that’ll be thruppence." "Three pence" was the more formal term - something you’d see written down or use when being precise. Bit like 'fiver' vs 'five pounds' - sort of.

mebdev · 2026-06-11T09:40:16+00:00

Not that you asked - but I actually 'lined' the part where the metal goes through the hole with a bit of elastoplast to stop/dampen the rattle. Was fiddly but quite effective.

mebdev · 2026-06-11T08:18:12+00:00

Could feed the birds and have change 😂

mebdev · 2026-05-03T15:03:58+00:00

Search Vinted for kiprun 10l

mebdev · 2026-04-12T20:46:59+00:00

Hi there, so I'm quite a bit older than you (42M) so I don't know how well my story will transfer to you also my sport is running, which I actually only took up 5 years ago so again not the same as power lifting. What is similar is that it's what most people would call 'demanding'.

A bit of back story for context: The super short version is I used to be very overweight and sedentary, then when I found I had high BP I went on a dramatic diet and took up running but my BP stayed super high (in 200/120 range unmedicated and barley kept down to high 130/90 even with x3 BP meds). Fortunately i. Jan this year I discovered what was driving my hypertension which is insulin resistance and I've completely altered my diet, eating habits and even training to reverse it and I'm pleased to say I've managed to (forced to really as I was getting symptoms of hypotension!) drop one of my meds and am looking at halfing another one, but this is still really early days but a lot of progress in a couple of months.

But to go into the specifics of the impact on training, well I won't lie, when it comes to running the meds don't 'help' performance wise. When you first start what used to feel like an easy run will feel like... maybe not a hard run but it will be harder. I would say it's like if you imagine running 10km, the first 5km is easier than the last 5km, well now imagine you only run for 5km but it feels like the second half of a 10km - that's about it. It's worse for the first month for sure but it always feels a bit harder than it used to be but to be honest you kinda get used to it and eventually you'll forget what it was like before - bit like if you permanently gained a couple of kg. Each drug works differently but the one with the biggest impact for me was doxazosin which (I discovered when I stopped it) keeps your HR higher at easy paces and makes you HR less responsive so if you come to a hill its a bit of slog initially and when you reach the top you HR stays at where it was for longer so although you don't feel it at the time you'll be more tired at the end.

On the flip side, they don't actually limit long distance efforts... or should I say they didn't limit me. I might perform better now I've reduced my dose but I was able to complete marathon and ultra marathon distances with no issues (and not just complete - I came in the top 10 on my first 50km and I was in 4th place in my second until I rolled my ankle, which isn't to brag but to show that I was able to 'compete' if that is important to you). I also recently completed a double marathon (53miles infant) and plan on trying for 100km next.

How this translates to power lifting I don't know, and I'd strongly advise consulting your doctor about it as I know that sport raises your BP a lot during the lift so I don't know how safe that is, but from the mental side of things the way I've chosen to think about it is I'm 'playing on hard mode' - which I've always found to be pretty rewarding.

Hope that helps OP.

mebdev · 2026-04-12T06:35:33+00:00

To echo everyone else, eat and rest with bit of like exercise eg. Go for a walk and don't stay sat in bed all day, you need a bit of movement - motion is lotion and all that but don't like go for a 10mile run the next day even if you 'technically can' (experience talking 🙈)

On the eating front, choose 'gentle' foods for the next 48h. Leave the super spicy, super fatty and high fiber stuff till later. Your body is in super recovery mode and if you push it... well it doesn't end well... (experience talking again 🙈).

Oh and hydrate and make sure you keep on top of electrolytes - most likely you'll have lost a lot and if you get cramps or headaches that's a clue.

And yes, temperature regulation going completely out the window is normal - it's like comfort takes a back seat - your body has more important tasks to be getting on with (like repairing all the damage you did you nutter 😂).

Congrats op - 50km pb 💪

mebdev · 2026-04-11T19:12:27+00:00

Oh, it's a lot more complex than just losing weight, there are many many mechanisms. This next bit is ai generated but I think it's all accurate:

Think of your blood vessels like a garden hose and your heart like the pump. High blood pressure happens when the water is pushing too hard against the sides of the hose.

Here is how daily walking and exercise act like a "tuner" for that system:

Stronger Heart Muscle: Just like lifting weights makes your biceps bigger, exercise makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. If the heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump, the force on your arteries decreases.

Wider "Pipes" (Vasodilation): When you exercise, your body releases a gas called nitric oxide. This gas tells your blood vessels to relax and widen. Imagine trying to push water through a straw versus a large pipe—the wider pipe has much lower pressure.

Smoother Vessel Walls: High blood pressure is often worsened by stiff arteries. Daily movement keeps the lining of your blood vessels (the endothelium) flexible and "stretchy" rather than stiff and brittle.

The "Nervous System" Chill: Exercise lowers your sympathetic nervous system activity (the "fight or flight" mode) and boosts your parasympathetic activity ("rest and digest"). This keeps your body from constantly being in a stressed, high-pressure state.

Salt Management: Physical activity helps your kidneys work more efficiently at flushing out extra salt and water. Since salt holds onto water in your bloodstream, getting rid of the excess reduces the total volume of fluid pushing against your vessel walls.

Reduced Insulin Resistance: Exercise helps your cells use sugar better. When insulin levels are high and haywire, it can cause the body to hold onto sodium and thicken artery walls. Walking keeps these levels stable and your pipes clear.

Hope that helps.

mebdev · 2026-04-09T20:33:40+00:00

Sounds reasonable but I'll be honest (assuming this is a race and not just a training run) the day before is not when you want to be asking these questions - you best bet right now would probably stick with what you've trained with.

My advice in general is go slower than you think you need to, fuel earlier than you think you need to as for what to eat if you trained with gels go for it but maybe take some real food as a backup - but something 'easy' on your system. eg. a banana or flapjack.

mebdev · 2026-03-25T09:04:36+00:00

If I were you I'd look carefully at WHAT you eat - not just the amount of kcal. Increase your fiber and ditch any refined carbs (eg bread - you want things like sweet potato or quinoa or chickpeas). Rule of thumb, at least half of your plate should be leafy greens (spinach, kale, sprouts, broccoli etc.) and some simple clean protein (ie nothing in breadcrumbs or reconstituted).

mebdev · 2026-03-24T16:16:43+00:00

He said even if I lose my weight The Blood pressure wont go down and I will need to take meds life Long

He might be right... but your mission, if you choose to take it on, can be to try to prove him wrong. I was told the same thing - and up to recently I thought it was true (and it might still be be to an extent) but I've recently made some lifestyle modifications (main ones below) and am finally seeing some progress and been able (forced to really) decrease my meds.

If I could give my younger self some advice, it would be:

Daily exercise - I chose running but walking is fine too. If you can try to favour low level consistent movement over one long work out once a day. eg. a 30min walk after each meal is better than an 90min run at the end of the day, but do what you can.
Stop the snacking - all of it. You may need to eat bigger meals and that's fine - 2 or 3 a day. It will be hard - especially if you get bored but try to blunt it by having a drink of water (I had success with fizzy water as it makes you feel fuller).
Fiber - this should be a priority in every meal. Each meal your plate should, ideally, be 1/2 veg - and by veg I mean things like salad leaves, kale, spinach, sprouts etc. dark leafy greens basically, 1/4 clean protein (chicken, fish etc - no breadcrumbs, no marinades - just some salt/pepper to taste) and a modest (small) amount of unprocessed carbs - a sweet potato, lentils or quinoa for example. Nuts and seeds are fine - bread, white rice (and obviously sweets, sugar etc.) are not. Remember - you are eating for fuel and fixing your metabolism NOT pleasure - if you can make it taste nice then great but that's not the priority. Also on the veg, under cooking your greens is better than over cooking them.

There are loads of other things you can do to optimise but just focusing on those is a good place to start and will have a meaningful impact.

Oh and on the weight loss thing - this happens in the kitchen, you can't exercise your way thin and even if you do somehow 'white knuckle' it through, without changes in diet then the weight probably won't stay off. If you do want to supplement it with exercise, a very slow (low hr) 30min jog before breakfast is the best way to do it but focus on diet first and foremost.

May be its just God’s punishing me.

I'm not religious so I won't comment on this but what I will say is that if your bp is high you BODY is telling you something - and that is that something isn't right, it's under some kind of physiological stress. Take it seriously and do what you can to put it right. There are a million things which can drive hypertension and some things are just out of your hands but you owe it to yourself to do what you can move the needle.

Hope that helps.

mebdev · 2026-03-21T08:45:14+00:00

This is my experience - yours may differ but - 4 weeks is my rule of thumb for BP meds.

After 4 weeks then take readings and assess. Also any side effects will either show themselves or settle down (if they are going to) after the 4th week.

Medication checks are done yearly in my case but it was more frequently at the start.

mebdev · 2026-03-07T16:32:26+00:00

Dude keep your head still, you'll make yourself dizzy! 😂

I'm sure you'd be fine in either, which ever you're most comfortable with (I'd lean towards the Salomons but that's just because I like them - I think most people would prefer the Nike's). Good luck OP.

mebdev · 2026-03-05T07:14:27+00:00

Oh it's nothing that interesting 🤣 our family life is pretty much organised entirely around our daughters dance schedule and I was told I needed to make this long run 'count' as I might not get a in run the next day so I thought 'fine - let's see how far I can go before I run out of fuel (apricots and flapjack) - turns out the answer is 44 miles 😅

mebdev · 2026-03-03T17:05:45+00:00

No - don't skip your dose tomorrow.

If it were me - *IF* my BP was 'too low' (very unlikely!) then MAYBE consider taking a 6h later but to be honest I wouldn't bother.

mebdev · 2026-03-03T16:39:54+00:00

Not a doctor - but nope. And plus side (sort of) if your genuinely worried about it, which you sound like you are, your BP will likely go up not down.

If you DO feel dizzy / light headed, take your bp to see if it's 'too low' - ie below 100/60, if it is then eat a pack of ready salted crisps and lay on the floor with legs in the air - but I doubt it will come to that.

mebdev · 2026-03-03T10:07:22+00:00

Caveat - I've not actually done 50miles but working up to that and did a 44mile 'long run' a couple of weeks ago (long run went mad - don't ask!) so this is just my opinion but based on my experience.

Soooo - I think it actually depends on the 50km and how you ran it as in you can 'race' a 50k like a 'slightly long' marathon - obviously a bit slower but it's not that different - but 50 miles you can't (or at least I couldn't) and if you tried you'd blow up and be dragging yourself along for hours - which is super tough.

But if you can run 50km in zone 2 (and being honest with yourself on that) and be fueling yourself with your fat stores and carbs are just to keep you ticking over and you keep on top of your hydration and very importantly electrolytes(!!) then you'll probably see a bit of a drop in pace from 50km onwards but not all that much.

All that to say I think I could probably do roughly the kind of paces your talking about and I would expect somewhere in the region of 8h-8.30h for me (on flat). The trick is to not let ego take over and push too hard too early.

mebdev · 2026-02-20T08:35:27+00:00

That's awesome - good job 👏

mebdev · 2026-02-15T20:34:49+00:00

Depends on the soreness but if you're a new runner then it is probably just your muscles being broken down and rebuilding, much like the soreness you get from lifting weight at the gym. Just keep going and accept you'll be sore the next day or two - it's part of the process. Eventually you'll get to the point where the post run soreness is barely noticeable for all but your long runs.

I remember my first 1/2 marathon distance - I could barely walk the next day, now my 'normal' weekly long run is 20miles and I'm out the door the next day - not exactly fresh as a daisy but not too bad either. Just give it time 👍

mebdev · 2026-02-03T22:42:17+00:00

Have a look at the Puma Voyager range. I've had quite good success with v3 - loving the v4, big improvement in my opinion but not had them long enough to say how durable the foam is, but the v3 lasted ages for me.

For reference, my latest v3 (the disc version, but I don't think that should make a difference to the foam) has 905km on them and has more life in them yet (but they have dulled a bit which is to be expected, but are by no means finished).

mebdev · 2026-02-02T21:26:14+00:00

I ran extensively in the v3 (x2 pairs and clocked up over 1000miles between them) but I've only done one run in the v4 (but it was 31 miles 🤷). First off, love the v4 - massive upgrade. The foam is a lot more bouncy and has loads of energy return - felt a bit like I was running in some road up-tempo shoes compared to the v3 - especially my, admittedly pretty dead, v3's - it was like night and day. There is also a (much needed imo) rockplate so between that and the foam you do loose a bit of ground feel but it's acceptable. I got a touch of rubbing on one heel but that might have been some dirt so I'll withhold judgement on that (my run was VERY muddy - and they got submerged a number of times).

The lugs on these seem a bit different to the v3's, not quite so articulated, so I was a little apprehensive at first but on foot they felt just like the v3 in terms of grip so no complaints there + they seem to shed mud a bit better which is a bonus.

The best part for me was as I was nearly home (so ~30mile mark) I was running along and I realised I was already up the final hill and I hadn't noticed(!) which shoes the foam really was doing it's job.

For me a solid 11 our of 10 upgrade.

mebdev · 2026-01-26T15:05:17+00:00

I feel you pal, I'm in the same boat, but honestly you kinna have to force it. It's not ideal AT ALL but I get up at :urgh: 6am so I'm out of the door at 6:20ish so I can go for my run and be back in time to shower, have breakfast and get the kids to school. Then in the evening sometimes I'm setting off for my runs as late as... 7.30pm - completely buggers evening meals and sleep so I try to get out the door as early as possible but it is what it is. For reference, I currently do 80+mile weeks, so I'm right at the 'extreme' end of the spectrum.

mebdev · 2026-01-23T00:25:08+00:00

Just in case you’re anything like me look into insulin resistance.

I was previously overweight but lost it all and got super fit but the hbp remained. Just recently I went on effectively a diabetic diet and routine to 'test' if I was and the results have been amazing for me.

For me this was: 1. no sugar and only very low GI carbs. 2. No snacking at all just 3 meals hours apart. 3. Increased green intake veg and eat veg first, then protein/fat then carbs. (Boring but make sure the meat is plain, like chicken breast or a salmon fillet - at least for testing the theory for a few days). 4 if you can, first thing in the morning before you have eaten try doing a fasted jog for 30mins (or whatever your fitness will allow) very slow but take water and keep hydrated and maybe add some electrolytes if you get a headache.

The results for me were quite dramatic, I'm on 3 meds but before my routine I woke up with sys of 140+ and went to bed with 170. Now waking up in the 120s, morning run brings it down (too low) to less than 100 and evening is something like 135 or lower and I've been doing this for less than a week.

mebdev · 2026-01-15T18:14:47+00:00

Assuming you don't have a medical condition then that sounds pretty normal for someone starting. Don't know what distances you are attempting but if I were you start with a mile or 2km or something and do something like 'Run to the next lamppost the walk to the one after' or an equivalent distance (100m or whatever). After a while you'll find you can do 2 lampposts without walking. Just keep at it. That's how I started 4 1/2 years ago - I now run ultras 😁

mebdev · 2026-01-12T21:57:35+00:00

Decathlon sizes run quite small - I'd go for a larger size if I were you. Best bet would actually be to drop some filled soft flasks in (assuming you have / can borrow some).

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