UKH

I've been running (well jogging) for a couple of years off and on, probably more off! I ran initially just to get fitter after quitting smoking, both were to improve with climbing. I live in a hilly area and refused to drive to run so it's always been either up or down and when I have (3 times ever) tried running on the flat I loathe it with unbridled passion. So, when I run it's hills, or if I'm really lucky it's clay mud and silly steep hills!

Until the last few weeks I'd always walked bits of a run, usually just prior to steep running or just after, recently it's not always, sometimes I stay running before and after a climb - this is new to me and I quite like it. But I can't always keep running. I run about 10 miles a week with around 1000ft elevation.

My first question is about walking in a run. I'm finding it hard to get running again after I've walked. It's probably partly because I'm trying not to walk so when I have it's been because the terrain has just spanked me good and proper, or due to passing dogs etc.
Are there any things that can help to up the pace again after walking or stopping?

My second question is about maximum heart rate. I've realised maximum doesn't mean it explodes if made to go faster, I realised that after my heart rate monitor (bought last week) got stuck and then when it was unstuck I was about 20 BPM faster than 220 - 44! It was on a bit of my long run I do often so I knew it doesn't lead to certain death, in fact, apart from blowing like a train I felt ok. Later in the same run I kept thinking it had stuck again as I felt battered but it hadn't, it was no higher than 165 at times I felt slaughtered.
How can it feel worse (more done in) when the heart is working less?

Last of the running questions - Due to the landscape changing due to weather and traffic it's almost impossible to really pace myself on my favourite run, kids on off road bikes or a recent shower can feel like to doubles the work load, even drying mud starts sticking in clods to my trainers on a bad day. Because I can't really pace a run, even when I stay running I tend to run till I'm rubber, then plan to call it a day but recover so do it again.
Does the fact I can run a second time after running till legs are rubber just mean I was a bit of a wimp and claimed rubber legs prior to actual rubber legs?

Strava question:
I made a segment in the first week and accidentally made it private. It was a hill recommended by a runner and I think it's a good fun stretch with no other segments on it.
How can I make it public to see if more folk come and play? I tried editing but I couldn't find a way to change it's status, just the route which I don't want to change.

Thank you anyone that got through that lot!

In reply to flopsicle:

Just make another segment covering the same route and make it public.

In reply to flopsicle:

Im not long back doing this and like you running in the flat doesnt seem to give me much. I pick a hill and do it as many nights as possible after work until recently with a head torch. Each time I try to beat the last walking break or cut them down till I can do it in a oner.

In reply to The New NickB:

Did it but weirdly it's still not showing up when I search and on the segment I just made the leader board from the one underneath has disappeared - it's still there on the previous segment and my run today is on both. Tech confoozes me!

In reply to fmck and flopsicle

Rather than making every run a race trying to get better than the last, run to keep going for a time at a pace you can manage and go for distance rather than speed initially. You don't improve massively by the day or week, but by the month and trying to push the speed up fast will get you injured if my experience is anything to go by. Living here on a medium sized wooded hill the running on off-road can be fantastic, but don't underestimate the effort to get up a couple of hundred metres and so be careful comparing your times to some lowland flat runner! I find the big down hills to be the biggest effort.

Download a 3-4 day a week training plan and follow it quite carefully and log your times etc would be my suggestion, but I am quite old and if you are young and fit from other activities this might appear the wimps way.

Steve ( a slowish 15-25 mile a week runner)

In reply to flopsicle:

Q1. At some point hills can be so steep, that walking is faster/more efficient than manageable running. Just make sure it's not a break from running and is still the same level of work -i.e. hands-on-knees fast walking. Once you reached the top of the climb, breaking back into the rhythm of running can sometimes feel like a relief.

Q2. You can only really assess your HR from how out of breath you are, not how tired you feel. Late in a run when you've depleted your glycogen stores, you simply haven't got the energy to run with a high heart rate. Your muscles kill and it'll feel like more effort, but you're probably not out of breath

Q3. don't quite understand...

Strava question: Yep, just make a new segment that's public. The try and get Strava to delete the original segment

In reply to flopsicle:

220 - age is very very rough population level estimate.. individuals will vary greatly around that.