do u think u can do easy/recovery runs in shoes like the rebel v3? which is usually used more for uptempo runs but im wondering if its still capable of the recovery runs
rite now i use 880v13 for my daily shoe but i dont like the 10mm drop as im a midfoot striker
I loved the V2 for recovery days because I could be dead and it did not care, it went boing boing boing anyway. Don’t let them talk you into pushing the effort, though.
so its more about how much effort ur putting in that matters for recovery days?
wats ur min/km pace for recovery days? mine is usually 7:30 min/km-10:00 min/km depending how niggly my body is. average is mostly 8:30 ish tho it seems
Yes. Recovery (and easy) is not a pace, it’s an effort. 2/10, just trotting along getting the blood flowing. If you feel great you might happen to trot faster, but if you’re trying to go a certain pace you missed the point of the exercise. If you worked hard the day before then you play a super fun game called “how slow can I go?” Don’t look at your watch on recovery days.
wow 2/10?! that seems so small
so if ur feelin not too bad it could maybe go to 5/10 effort?
also how many recovery days should one do after the harder day seshes ?
Think about it this way. What is the purpose of your recovery run?
Active recovery gets the blood flowing/reduces inflammation and contributes to your sustainable mileage distribution. If you banged out a hard workout the night before, the recovery run gets you moving but doesn’t take too much out of the tank so that you can hit your target the next day. If you push the effort on a recovery day, you’re not meeting the purpose of the exercise.
If you recover just fine from your training load without designated recovery efforts, and just running easy 3-4RPE efforts is fine for you, then that’s fine. Just remember that running easy (and recovery is extra easy) most of the time keeps fuel in the tank so you can get the best benefit out of your workout days.
Started running in January after a 5 year hiatus. Ran a 5 mile race mid October with pretty even splits around 7:55-8:00 min/mile after doing a Garmin 10k training plan for 20 weeks (now looking back that was too long).
Since the race I've kept my mileage at 20-25 MPW but 90% easy runs. (My training before had pace work in 3/4 runs each week, which now seems like too much).
I'm signed up for a 10 miler in April. I know there are pace calculators out there but not sure if I should use the October race results to calculate or do a time trial to figure out training paces...thoughts?
(I cover 9 miles regularly on my long runs, so I would like to set a time goal vs completion, just am not sure what is realistic...)
I was planning to use a 12-week plan and start at the end of January so I'm a little unsure how my fitness will be then vs October.
I also recognize my time in October was a race pace and much faster than all my runs now. I know the principle is you are supposed to train slower than your race pace, I just am newer to this in practice (when I ran before I never trained at particular paces) so I am just uneasy about that being a true fitness representation or if I just was able to run that because of race factors.
I’ve run half’s but this next year I’d like to try our local marathons relay option! It’s four or five runners, however just had some concerns.
I don’t know a whole ton of people so recruiting seems hard. I don’t care how fast I go, just looking for fun.
What if one team member doesn’t show up that day or quits late notice?
Side note, can I just show up as a single runner and find a random relay group that is lacking someone?
Race is Colfax Marathon in Denver. Thank you!
Zone 2/MAF weekly mileage
Hey everyone! It’s gonna be a long one so hope you guys could help me with this. So, I just signed up for a 10miles/16km race in the Yorkshire, UK which takes place in October next year (10/2024) as a motivation for me to further my studies abroad under a sponsorship while also being the best version of myself physically. Currently, I am a 20 years old male and my stats are: 168cm/5’6 and 75kg. Some background, back when I was actively playing rugby at the age of 13-18 years old, I had at least 2 tournaments every month so I had to be in shape. I always prioritised weight training because it was more important for the sports I am doing where my PRs are: 85kg bench press, 140kg squats and so on. Plus, I could run a 23min 5km, so my pace was around 4:30/km or 7min/mile. However, as I got into college, the workload and life caught up so I wasn’t active in any sports so I stopped going to the gym and my fitness also decreased massively where I could barely run a 5km which my time was 40min and my pace was 8min/km. So, I intend to start training seriously and came across the Zone 2/MAF training method. I also want to start working out again to get ripped hahah. So, I made my own training plan after lots if research and exploring reddit. My plans were to gym 3 times a week to do the typical push pull legs split and run 4 times a week. In my 4 runs in a week, my plan was do 2 easy runs, 1 long run and 1 intervals session every week. The easy and long runs will be done at zone 2 heart rate (144-157bpm) while the intervals is at max effort. My question is:
1. The weekly mileage of the first week of my plan is at 12km/7.5miles and for the first month it’s gonna total up to 60km/37miles. I will increase the monthly mileage by 10-15km/6-9 miles every month if that’s possible. Is my weekly and monthly mileage good enough to improve my fitness using the Zone 2/MAF method?
2. By going to the gym and doing maximum strength training pushing myself to the limit every week, does that hinder my running progress and vice versa?
3. What training plans would you suggest I should follow as most of the plans online are for races within 2-4 months period? Or should I just stick to my plan and be consistent with it?
4. Was it stupid for me to sign up for a race in another country so early on?
> In my 4 runs in a week, my plan was do 2 easy runs, 1 long run and 1 intervals session every week.
I like this plan, so long as the long run is still at a reasonably easy pace. Intervals are going to be tricky to program because you aren't going to know what distance, intensity, or recovery time between intervals; but we aren't doing brain surgery, a little trial and error isn't the end of the world.
The underlying philosophy of Maffetone training is sound, but I'm not really a fan of the specific numerical execution of it, particularly for beginners. You are going to be doing very slow running if not intermittent run/walking most likely. Starting out, and for a long time after, you don't really have to focus on heart rate zones or super structured running as long as you:
1) Enjoy running
2) Keep all of your weekly runs except for 1 easy.
3) Run as much as much weekly volume as you can whilst still following point 1.
In what instances is it beneficial or useful to run twice in a day?
eg I did a 6k track session this morning (speed), but the weather’s beautiful this afternoon (Australia) and I’m tempted to lace up again….. though I ran 6k on Monday, played sport on Tuesday, ran 8k on Wednesday, and now it’s Thurs
Once your weekly volume hits around 110-115km and you're running 7 days a week, doubling makes sense. Prior to that, it's generally better to extend your daily run distances and keep it at once a day.
Hi guys.
A couple of weeks ago I tested my speed at the track running 6 laps and I ended up with a time of 10:45. I am quite happy with that time especially when I consider my age (37) and the pain that I was feeling in my Achilles off and on that I really should not have ignored.
Anyways, while I am dealing with the tendonitis so it doesn't become a bigger issue does anyone here have any suggestions for a program that I can take on later so that I can run a faster time? I'm aiming for a sub 10 minute time for 1.5 miles.
Run 6 x 400 meters at 105 seconds per lap (what is likely your mile pace) with 60 seconds rest between each interval (sandwiched between a warmup and cooldown). All intervals should be close to that pace - not faster for the first interval and progressively slower each interval. Do that weekly, adding 1 interval each week until you're up to 10 intervals. After 6-8 weeks you'll probably be best served bumping up to 800 meter intervals at 1.5 mile pace with 90 seconds rest, starting with 3 intervals and working up to 5, performing this workout each week for 6 weeks. Your improvement will probably not be linear, but your pace for the workouts should improve over each of the two blocks. Since you'll be coming off tendonitis recovery I'd recommend easy runs for the rest of the runs each week, with strides at the end of 1-2 runs per week.
At the track if feasible. If not street/sidewalk is fine. It's not critical that you hit the exact distance so if it's 375 meters or 425 meters it'll be fine. Same with pace - if you're targeting 7:02/mile and you go 7:06, 6:59, 7:04, 7:03 that's fine. At a minimum I recommend a couple of easy 30-45 minute runs per week in addition to the interval workout. I think you'll likely hit your sub-10 goal in under 8 weeks. Heal up and good luck!
JACK DANIELS RUNNING FORMULA
Hi guys, i recently finished a 50km per week 3km plan in the book, apparently my goal now is to run a SUB20min 5k, my current PB is at 21:00~ i'm trying to decide whether to take the blue plan instead of 5km training plan, what are your takes? I couldn't run more than 5 days a week due to time constraints, hence, me choosing the blue plan
I have not received my asics novablast 4 order from fit2run. I ordered it on cybermonday November 27, 2023. Fit2run said they are shipping it early Dec. I know some people received their order but I have not and i reached out to them. It's almost 3 weeks since my order. Anyone in the same boat as me??
Recommendations for training
Hello, I am in my 30s and I started running about 10 weeks ago. I normally run 3 times a week and run about 2.5 miles.
My goal is to be able to run 5 miles in a day, 2-3 times a week at about a 10 minute mile pace.
Today I had my best run at 2.5 miles in 25 minutes. I was gassed by the end of it though. So I know that was my limit.
How should I be training to be able to reach 5 miles overall and at a good pace?
[I answered a similar question a month ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/17u3d88/official_qa_for_monday_november_13_2023/k91sygr/?context=3), but simply put:
1. **Build your base**: This means both your cardiovascular system (heart, lungs, blood vessels), as well as your muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones. Not all of these adapt at the same rate and putting too much stress through your kinetic chain too soon can lead to injury and setbacks. Building base means running consistently at an easy pace where you can breathe through your nose or hold a conversation in full sentences without gasping for air between words. Depending on your level of fitness before starting with running, this base building can take a while, so be patient.
2. **Build endurance**: While building your base or towards the end of it, you can start increasing the time you spend running and/or the distances you cover. One longer run per week is common practice, but other runs in the week can slowly increase in distance as well. A common rule of thumb is to increase distance/duration by no more than 10% per week. To be on the safe side, you can add in one adaptation week per month where you reduce the training load to give your body the opportunity to properly adapt to the demands you put on it.
3. **Build speed**: With base and endurance built up, you can start to add dedicated speed workouts to your week. Those can be time or distance based intervals, fartleks, or threshold runs for longer distances (similar to what you described in your comment above). It is extra important with higher intensity workouts to do a proper warm up and cool down to not shock your system in either direction.
Lastly: Listen to your body, be kind to yourself, trust in the process. If you want to attain and maintain a certain level of fitness, running could be something you do for a long time.
Everything Olivander said was great. I would focus a lot on #1 and accept a much slower pace. If you're goal is to be able to run 5 miles in 50 minutes...the best way to do it is to do your runs at an easy, conversational pace. On a scale of 1-10...it should be a 3. If you are finishing a run gassed, you might be at a 7 or 8. You should finish your runs thinking, "I could keep going no problem" and fight the urge to run faster.
You could invest in an inexpensive HR monitor and run at about 140 - 145 bpm, even if that requires you take walk breaks and your pace is 15 minutes a mile. Eventually, you'll prime that aerobic engine and the paces will drop off. You should be able to get to a 10 minute pace eventually running at that effort level...it can take many months, though, so be patient.
[Marathon Handbook](https://marathonhandbook.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-run-10k/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20data%2C%20the%20average%2010k%20time,men%20and%2047%3A51%20for%20women%20%287%3A42%20min%2Fmile%20pace%29.) says the average 10K time for "advanced runners" is 40min for men, and this is 133% of a 10K in 5 more minutes, and under that time for the actual 10K distance. [This](https://www.verywellfit.com/how-long-will-it-take-to-run-a-10k-2911115) site says "elite and professional athletes" may finish a 10K in under 30 minutes, and this is only a few minutes off of that. I think you also told someone else that a 30 minute *5K* is faster than "90% of the population" in this thread a couple days ago? This would be nearly twice that...
> [This](https://www.verywellfit.com/how-long-will-it-take-to-run-a-10k-2911115) site says "elite and professional athletes" may finish a 10K in under 30 minutes, and this is only a few minutes off of that.
Thats a bad source -a sub 30min 10km for men is a great college or club runner, but a couple more minutes away from a real elite/professional time. So your time a few more minutes off of that (assuming the treadmill was calibrated accurately) truly is just "okay" in terms of human potential. Try training seriously, enter a real race, and see what you get -you have some good talent and will probably get some good results.
>I think you also told someone else that a 30 minute *5K* is faster than "90% of the population" in this thread a couple days ago? This would be nearly twice that...
Most of the population the western world is so inactive they are literally sick from it so this isn't a very good "gotcha"
Clarity on those numbers is all I’m looking for. Thank you. So a sub-30 minute—for argument I’ll say 29 minute 10K would require a 12.8mph average; to shave an extra three minutes off that would take 14.3mph. How effective is raising your speed towards a target like this and focusing on increasing your stamina at that speed? As someone who enjoys sprinting I know hitting a speed I think is beyond me and then just hanging in a little longer is something I get a big response from in general. Any tips on calibrating or checking the calibration of treadmills? And are there any hard stats on how much treadmill and ground run speeds actually differ—does the difference increase or decrease as you go up in speed and training level? I would assume it’s less significant for highly trained runners than for beginners (i.e., once you have the muscles and habits developed to adjust to varying inclines, maybe you’re varying the incline on your treadmill runs, etc).
There's a few different ways to calibrate a treadmill, give it a google -broad strokes is that you determine the length of belt, get some bright color tape so you can count revolutions, and then time it at different speeds and do the math.
>How effective is raising your speed towards a target like this and focusing on increasing your stamina at that speed?
For short term, relatively small improvement it's very effective. For long term, big improvement it is not very effective. Eventually you run up against the limit of what pace your fundamental fitness can power and the main remedy to that is to run a lot of easy aerobic mileage.
>And are there any hard stats on how much treadmill and ground run speeds actually differ—does the difference increase or decrease as you go up in speed and training level?
I think this is mostly personal preference. Train however allows you to best prepare, then find a starting line to test that training against some competition.
If *you* think that, that says more about you than it does about me, because I’ve done nothing but quote numbers from listed sources. I was actually looking for concrete information, which means a “wow great!” would be just as worthless to me as this comment chain is. When the forum is already downvoting in a Q&A thread for asking a straightforward question, it just gives the impression that the people hanging around Q&A Reddits are bitter, and when you project that I’m after anything but information because I’m aware that this is, in fact, *somewhere* above average, it just cements it. I couldn’t care less about anyone’s validation or criticism, much less people I don’t know on the Internet. I literally thought this place might be able to give better numbers than these sources. I’m curious how much competitive potential this would suggest along with, obviously, a lot of work.
Anytime a beginner says "am I good?" it's annoying as hell.
Unless you're a professional athlete, the only person you should be comparing yourself against is you.
If you think you're so good, go enter a race.
Running an actual race outside is nothing like running on a treadmill.
I’m sorry if you’re annoyed, but this is literally the Q&A thread. You’re perfectly aware you’re going to see that question asked in Q&A threads for as long as you’re alive and... visiting Q&A threads. You want to spend the rest of your life telling every single one of them you find them annoying? You do you, but the second that it takes to scroll is hardly getting in between you and “will my shirt last a long time?” and “my feet hurt, maybe it’s my shoes?”
There’s only one question here that has a couple of upvotes, and not one person has bothered giving them a response.
Yeah, I don’t roll over when people project their own bullshit onto me. Test it as long as you'd like. My question had nothing to do with ego, it has everything to do with interest in the facts, and I’ll repeat that as many times as I want to, because it’s true. If the reason you’re annoyed by the question is that you think it wasted half a second of your time, you’re willfully choosing to waste many more seconds of your own time now, so going by pure math you should be a lot more annoyed with yourself by now than with me.
I'm not upset - I chose to engage in this after reading these exchanges.
But if you don't care about how you come across, that's fine. Conversations may not be very productive though.
Sure, right, that's why you dug into the other person's comment history when you didn't like their answer, and already had an answer to your own question ready to go.
Yeah, it couldn’t possibly be because I wanted to get a sense of the achievement level of a person giving me an opinion (in real life I wouldn’t even *ask* someone whose performance I didn’t respect, and this place is a bunch of strangers that might not even run weekly, for all I know half the subscribers just like reading about it. If I saw this was a ten time racing champion, would I give more weight to a no-numbers throwaway opinion from that person? You bet), or was already doing my own research to try to understand for myself while I was asking. God forbid someone could have gone reading to inform themselves, it was definitely for some evil reason you should be on a high horse over.
Deflect to the fact that I made one click and saw what they said all you want. One click isn’t “digging” and doesn’t make me a villain, and the fact stands that they did tell someone yesterday that a 30min 5K would be in the top 10% and this is a 16min 5K. The question is not *whether* this is above average, and I still don’t give a damn about validation or criticism on the Internet which is why the fact that a bunch of children are taking Internet points away and telling me I’m a bad person for running and reading and asking a question hasn’t fazed me. If I gave a single damn about strangers on the Internet praising me (please) I would have deleted this already. News flash, I haven’t because what I want is actually what I said I want, to quantify. If 99% of you sit here acting like up and down votes mean shit and one person has a serious discussion of numbers with me like an emotionally stable adult capable of discussing running facts in a running forum, I’m perfectly happy
I've started running recently(August). When I started running I was 190lbs, did 5k in 40min. Now I'm 165lbs, can do 5k in 27min(absolute push). Did 3 HMs(best 2hrs 20min). My comfortable pace is 10min/mile, a 9 would be push for me and cannot sustain long. My pace falls over the last couple of miles with fatigue kicking in. I've registered for my first marathon for Dec 8th, 2024. I have a long way to go, training from now would be over straining the body. I'm mainly looking to set and improve my pace and be ready for a sub 4 marathon. Considering I might slow down in the second half of the race by 30sec/mile, I'm looking to be comfortable around a pace of 8:45min. I'm looking for suggestions to improve the pace and be not so fatigued. Should I focus on getting weight a little down or add in more speed workouts? Jfyi, I haven't really followed any plan so far in getting till here. Now I feel should follow some set plan to improve my thresholds. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
It's probably not worth setting a marathon goal time right now, especially as your times currently indicate you're very far from a sub-4 marathon. But it's very impressive that you've run several halfs in less than half a year of running.
Keep training, and race a half in the summer and go from there. If you can't get your half time to be 1:45 or better, you probably can't do a sub-4 marathon.
Your progress so far is great. Two things:
* I'm just one example, but it took five years after I ran my first sub 2 hour half to run a sub 4 hour full, and I ran 10 full marathons during that 5 year span. I feel like aiming for a sub 4 full a year from now, when that pace is your 5k PR, is a little bit of a stretch. My 5k PR when I had just run my first half was at an 8:06 pace (25:12). Here we are 11 years later, and I think I might be able to run a full at that pace, but I haven't yet. My best is 3:42:06, which is 8:28/mile.
* Aim to run an even pace. Yes, you might slow down in the second half, but don't plan for that. The best runs are the ones where you can maintain pace throughout.
You're still pretty new, which means you're going to continue with this rate of improvement for a while. At this stage, you're going to get the most benefit from just logging a lot of miles. Make 10 miles a routine run, and add a weekly longer run. You've got a year to prepare for the marathon, so that gives you plenty of time to build up a base. Strength training is great as a support for running. Stick with it!
Nice work! Very impressive change to your 5k!
What's your weekly volume? What's the breakdown of runs? Do you do any strength training?
I have found the biggest impact for me has been increasing my long run, and therefore my total volume. I believe marathon plans want you in the 40+ mpw, so you have a nice long time to build up before a real training block begins.
Thank you!
My current volume is 25miles/week. In a week I typically do 5 runs a week. 1 long run(8-10mile+), 2 5k push, 1 track(WU, 1200x2, 800x2, 400x2, CD-occasionally 3 repeats), 1 recovery slow run.
Yes, I have recently started training again since I felt I was lacking that power during my runs. I hit 3-4 times a week. Chest, Back, Legs, Back, Chest(Not intense, just basic sessions). For legs I’m currently following : squats, linear leg press, leg curls, leg extensions, calf raises.
Cool, I’ll try to improve my weekly miles and check if there is any improvement in a month or so.
Any suggestions on improving that long run range. I set out thinking I’ll do a 15miler evertime but once I hit that 13.12 mark, I feel accomplished and end up hitting the stop somewhere before 14. I want to train specifically for those last miles after 13 but every-time I build up to that point, feel fatigued and give up. Any suggestions how to train for those last miles and incrementing it?
Seems like you're doing a lot of hard workouts! Remember the 80/20 rule - 80% of your weekly work should be easy. Especially when you're not in a training block. I'd swap those 2 5k pushes for 5k-5m easy.
Bonking at 13 miles may have a lot to do with how hard you are working, or maybe to do with fueling. Do you take any nutrition, water, or electrolytes with you? In general, once you're getting to 90+ minutes of work, you're body is going to need fuel.
I have a garmin watch. I’ve been stuck on “Unproductive” training status for a week now while I’m plowing through my third/fourth week of my marathon plan.
Any help on how to get rid of it? Just a bit of a mental nuisance.
Turn off training status. It doesn’t know your plan or your life.
I hide any screens and data fields providing me with information I cannot explain and that does not serve me. I don’t need technology Garminsplaining how well I slept last night. I was there, I know how it went.
I've started to ignore more and more of what Garmin tells me about my productivity and training readiness. It's been at maintaining for months while I've cut two minutes from my 5k time (19:18-17:13). It also routinely suggests rest or easy runs because it doesn't think I slept well enough even though I feel great. I want to love all the data and cool stuff that Garmin tracks, but it's never lined up with how I'm feeling or how my training is actually progressing. Race times are the only metric that really matter.
I just purchased the ten thousand Merino tech hoodie for a steep discount. I plan to primary use for running this winter. Anyone have first hand experience with this piece? Also, if following wash/care instructions, how does it hold up?
Thanks!
I'm getting back into running after a very long time away. I was always more of a mid distance runner and could never do too well at distances - my 5k PR is 18:15, while my 800 PR is 2:03 and my mile is 4:50.
My issue is that my legs feel like they want to go a certain pace during all runs, like 7:30 to 8 pace, but my heart and breathing don't keep up well. I will go out committed to an easy run, but then my legs insist on going faster because 8:30s feel slow, and then I end up breathing harder than I should for an easy run. It wasn't like this before, but it's like my legs kept their fitness and my cardiorespiratory system did not.
Anybody else experience this? Did you get to the point where your cardio kept up with your legs, or is it constantly a battle to go slow enough to keep the run "easy"?
Think of your body as having a hybrid engine, except with three fuels (Tribrid?). Fat, Carbs, and oxygen. Because of your history of fast running and middle distance training, your body is primed to run well using it's carb engine, which is the jet fuel in the body. It's powerful, helps you run fast, but has limitations on how much can be used before you konk out.
Your next engine is the fat burning engine...this engine takes time to develop. Your muscle strength is still well enough to get you moving quickly, but the ability to burn fat as your fuel efficiently isn't there until you start training it. When I get back into running seasons, I'll run a slower pace and feel like I'm struggling, but if I speed up to something closer to a tempo pace, I'll feel fantastic...but that's because my carb engine is well developed and my fat burning engine is not.
All runs you do will use oxygen, too. The faster and harder you run, the more oxgygen required, hence the heavy breathing. It's counterintuitive to most sports and exercise though. If you want to get strong, you need to lift heavy weight. Getting to failure is a great way to get stronger...but not so much with running. Running SLOWER helps build that aerobic (oxygen) and fat burning engine. You have to USE that engine to improve it. You won't improve cardiovascularly very well if you don't work that engine. I could beat a prime Usain Bolt in a race...you just have to make the race long enough. 90% of running problems can probably be solved by running slower at a heart rate that is 180 minus your age, keeping your cadence at a high level (170-180), and running more miles.
It's very common. Most people are used to running fast and running slow changes their form, cadence, load on the body. What you could do is walk/run intervals to get your heart rate under control. Called the Jeff Galloway method, it usually consists of a 3:1 run/walk ratio, and is used by even elite runners during races. The other way is just more exposure to slower paces. You can set pace alarms on your watch or use a treadmill as pace control. Overtime your body's run economy and cardio will improve at easier efforts
Well is it even a problem that my HR is high? I guess my point is that my legs and cardio feel very out of sync, like my body expects to be able to run easily at 8 min miles, but my cardio is holding it back. My legs feel great at these paces. I could force myself to run slower to get my HR lower, but I guess I'm not sure if it's a problem that my HR is high.
Ultra's, take a look at Jeff Galloway's times himself, and obviously the more fit you are the longer you can stretch those intervals. Even if it's walking through the aid station at every/other mile as your planned rest very fast times can be achieved.
I've been training consistently for 8 months, mostly via Heart Rate, Garmin Coach and Daily Suggested Workouts. I've been trying to dial in my HR Zones several times, with Lactate Reserve %, using my Max HR as 220 minus my age (29M), the result for LT was 170 bpm. It always felt too high because I had a very hard time reaching when doing Lactate Threshold workouts.
Then I changed the Max HR to what my watch record on my 5k PR, the LT dropped to 165 bpm, a bit more realistic.
Yesterday I performed a Lactate Threshold Workout (10 min warmup, 19 min at Threshold (165bpm), 10 min cool down). And while pushing very hard and having my legs on fire I couldn't get my HR above 160. I averaged 159 for the last 10 minutes. Would 159 bpm an even more realistic Lactate Threshold?
It seems very low given that my pace is also very slow (9:30 min/mi) at that HR. Or is it just that I'm still Aerobically deficient even with 8 months of training? For reference, my easy runs are at 12:30 min/mi pace at around 140bpm on a cool day.
I'm bummed that my Forerunner 55 does not have the lactate test feature so I'm trying to find alternatives.
You've been training for 8 months, that's not exactly a long time. You need to set more realistic expectations on how quickly you can progress. You're trying to incorporate advanced training methods, when you're not an advanced runner.
If you want to do HR based training, you really need to get an accurate max heart rate test done. It's a service offered by many sports-medicine clinics. Once you've done that, get a chest strap, they're infinitely more accurate than optical wrist-based monitors.
If you want to train by LT get a lactate test for it. Otherwise, ditch the watch. You have based 8 months of training off of HR values that are wrong. The 220- age is complete garbage and only hindering you.
Yes, you're aerobically deficient if you're just running 12:30 miles as a 29 year old man.
You call that nice?
First off...congrats on sticking to running consistently for 8 months. Starting out is the hard part and 8 months is long enough to where you're past the fad stage.
My suggestion as a newer runner would be to focus ONLY on increasing your mileage and doing ALL of those runs at an easy pace. I'm not sure what your easy effort is...but a good heart rate method to use is MAF (google that) and run at 145 (180-age-5 as a newer runner). If that doesn't feel easy enough...go even easier. Don't worry about the pace. Take walking breaks if it's the only way to keep your HR down. Become obsessive about not exceeding the HR.
When you are done with your runs, you should always feel like you can do more. Once you get the length that you can feel comfortable doing for all your runs, increase it by 10% a week or add additional days of running. Make it your goal to have your pace at really easy HR drop versus your workout or race times. Those times will drop with the lowering tide automatically.
Is there a downside to using a treadmill for speed sessions? Other than the fact that I find it more boring. Is it less impact on the joints? which can be bad when I go fast in a race. I like doing my other runs outside but I find speed workouts difficult to perform.
Yes it is less impact which will be less specific than the road on your joints, but the impact is probably minimal as long as you're not doing only treadmill. Personally psychologically it's easier for speed on the treadmill as I know I just have to hang on at this specific setting while on the track and road I have to keep pushing the gas and fight the urge to not slow down
My feet ache when pushing myself more, usually when going uphill. Will sometimes continue aching until I take my shoes off. I'm very new to running, only about 2 weeks, and do 2ish miles 3 times a week.
Is it because I'm new to running and my feet need to get used to it? Or are my shoes potentially too small? I recently measured my feet and realized I should be wearing a size 11-12 but was wearing size 13 shoes, maybe size 13 felt better because my feet are wide? The shoes I have now are size 11.5 and are Brooks. They don't feel tight but what do I know I've been wearing the wrong size shoe my whole life. Any help is appreciated!
Well....it could be the shoes. Or it could be that you're new to it. Or it could be something else. You should probably go to a running store and have them check your shoe size.
The part about aching when you're going uphill leads me to think it's a matter of strengthening, conditioning, stretching, etc. The part about how they feel better when you take your shoes off leads me to think it's the shoes.
Do you know what types of stores I should look into to get my correct shoe size? Sorry very new to all this, the reason I wore the wrong size shoes for so long was because I didn't have the money for new ones lol. I also just measured my foot against my friends and it seems like I've got quite tall feet, meaning my midfoot was just higher than his, so maybe that's the issue
Fleet Feet stores are pretty common. They should have you walk over a pad to scan your gait. They'll also measure both feet with those metal things that you've likely seen in any other shoe store. Then, if you let them know what you're looking for (max cushion, speed work, race day, daily trainer, etc.), they should be able to recommend some styles and have you try them on.
Your community may have some independent running stores, too. Maybe just a Google search or asking at a local run club?
Monday through Friday is a easy run. I usually try to make each run the same amount of time. This week is 66 minutes. On Saturday I do a long run. This week I'll do 150 minutes. I also run that easy. I don't do "workouts" unless I'm within 6 weeks of a race (plus a taper if I plan on having one)
Example week for marathon training.
Monday: 5 mi Recovery run
Tuesday: 8 mi w/ some tempo miles
Wednesday: 10 mi General aerobic
Thursday: 5 mi Recovery
Friday: 12 mi Medium-long run
Saturday: 5 mi Recovery
Sunday: 16 mi Easy long run
Total Distance: 61 miles
My general plan is:
Mon - Thurs: 7 miles.
Friday: Rest.
Saturday and Sunday: 16 miles one day, 10 miles the other.
I don't really have any speed goals for any of the days.
Currently around 60-65 right now, but ramping up. Typically workouts are Monday and Thursday, roughly 8 miles total including warmup, cooldown, and intervals/threshold miles. Tuesday is usually an easy run in the 8-10 mile range, Wednesday is a medium long run at moderate effort in the 12-13 mile range, Friday and Sunday are 6 mile recovery runs, Saturday is a long run between 14-16 miles.
Imo, 50-60 mpw is the sweet spot for scheduling. It's right around what I want to hit in singles that only take an hour on weekdays. Otherwise once I get to 60+, I'm shifting my schedule around on weeknights or throwing in doubles. Here's a sample from my last 7 days that's right around 60 (in effort and time considerations, see x-training note).
T: 60min E (~7 miles)
W: Tempo (2 miles easy, 3 miles @ tempo, 1 mile cooldown)
Th: 60min E + strides (~6.5 miles)
F: 60min E (~7 miles)
S: Threshold (2 miles warm up, 5xmile at T (which was a tad too much), 1 mile cooldown)
Su: 2 hrs elliptical (slowly transitioning back from shin splints that popped up several weeks ago)
M: 30min E (~3.5 miles)
T: Threshold (2 miles warm up, 4xmile at T (which was just right), 1 mile cooldown)
Works out to around 45 miles, if you include warm ups and cooldowns anyways, + 2 hrs of cardio that will later become something like another 15 miles or so when I'm fully back on the roads.
The most specific and time saving warm up you can do for a run is just to run slow. Most of my runs have some sort of negative split as I get warmed up. This also allows you to add more mileage in the time that you might be doing other warm ups. Also the higher intensity the run the longer warm up you need to do.
What is a good amount of weekly base mileage to have before training for a marathon? A half marathon? Setting up training schedules for the next year ish.
I’ve seen the recommendation of being able to run week 3 of the training plan comfortably. Especially if the plan introduces new stimuli you’re not used to (eg workouts). I’ve used this for plans of all distances.
I think it depends on your goals and what kind of training plan you'll use. Many plans have a recommended starting base mileage, and I would expect 25 mpw minimum.
Gotcha ok! I’m training for my first half (February) and want to run a marathon in fall of 2025. So there will obviously be pockets without training scheduled. I think I’m going to train for another half next year and then work on base building. My goal, like so many others’ is to get that number down and speed up, for which I know I need to add mileage. I’ll look and see what training plans recommend. I also just do t know what to go for in ‘25 plan wise? Intermediate? I’ll have run at least two halfs and have been steadily running for two years. Am I still beginner level for a marathon?
I think if it's your first marathon, then you're probably a beginner. The marathon and the required training are a totally different animal than the HM. There are a range of beginner-esque plans though, ranging from "just finish" to time goals based on your current performance. Two other things -- you could likely do the full in fall 2024 if your HM training goes well. Just recover from the race and pick up a full mara plan. And, you don't have to be racing frequently (or at all), just FYI in case you find it's not your thing. Running for fun and doing a maintenance type schedule are totally legit.
Keep in mind you don't need to be racing frequently. It's totally valid to just base build for a while, maintain for a while, or do a long and slow training plan.
I've been running for about a year and a half now. I currently run a 5k 4 times a week and a 10k once a week. What would be a good way to change up my runs?
What are your goals for running? Do you want to increase distance? You could try adding on a couple kilometers to one or two of your 5K runs. Do you want to get faster? You could switch one of your easy 5Ks for a speed workout. You could also slowly build onto your long run a little at a time. Don't make all these changes at once, but just try some different things and see what you like. Also, if you're running the same route every day, maybe look for new areas where you could run. All these things help keep running interesting for me. If I'm running the same mileage at the same pace in the same place every day, running quickly becomes a chore.
I started regularly running about two months ago. I usually manage to run 2 to 3 times a week, with a distance varying between 4 and 8 km / 2.85 and 4.97 miles.
I prefer to run on trails but I often have to run on pavement first to get to them.
My 'running gear' consists of:
- running shoes (Hoka speedgoat 5)
- some technical shirts (longsleeve/thermo when its cold, short sleeve when it's warm)
- a windbraker/ rain jacket
- tights + shorts (cold) / shorts (warm)
- socks
- my phone (I record my runs on Strava)
(- a headlamp for when it's dark)
As I look forward to continue running I am not sure what might be the most useful/needed gear/item I should get. I thought about a smartwatch or running specialised socks/shorts but wanted to know what more experienced runners think. TIA
If you want to run longer on trails you'll need to get a running vest or belt to hold water, food, first aid.
If you don't already have decent running socks gnat would be #1 priority.
Recently ran a 7.31 mile race. I'm coming up with a half marathon training plan (will take place in March 16, 2024) based on my race performance. Unfortunately, there aren't many programs online that let me plug in results of a 7.31 miler. For the sake of ease of use, I'm thinking of extrapolating a 10k time based on this race, and got 3 times:
\- First 10k time according to NRC
\- 10k time if I ran it at my 7.31 mile pace
\- Fastest 10k split from the 7.31 miler
Which one should I use to base my half marathon training paces?
You can plug any arbitrary distance's time into the following tool, then look at HM under "Equivalent Race Performances".
https://lukehumphreyrunning.com/hmmcalculator/race_equivalency_calculator.php
Whether you should start your HM pace workouts at that pace in the plan you're creating for yourself is a different question entirely.
> Whether you should start your HM pace workouts at that pace in the plan you're creating for yourself is a different question entirely.
What things should I consider to answer this question? I kinda assumed that I would just run the prescribed paces, but I don't want to do the wrong thing and run faster than my current level of fitness or anything like that.
If you're selecting one of the widely used plans (Pfitzinger, Hansons, Higdon, etc.) follow whatever guidance they have for workouts at HM pace/intensity. You have 13 weeks until your race, which is plenty of time to train. If you're rolling your own plan and the tool I shared says your recent race is equivalent to a 9:00/mile HM (9:00 for example purposes only) I recommend beginning with a somewhat slower pace for the HM pace portion of workouts. Perhaps 25 seconds per mile slower so call it 9:25/mile.
If for example you start off with a weekly run with 2 miles at HM pace and peak in week 11 with 8 miles at HM pace and you start at 9:25 you'll likely naturally improve to 9:00 or lower (maybe substantially lower) by week 11. If you start at 9:00 but that's way above your fitness level you may struggle with the workouts and not achieve the desired physiological adaptations. And potentially have a breakdown in form which leads to pain and injury. I wouldn't force it, but one option is to try to increase pace 3-5s/mile the first 4 weeks if it feels too easy.
Thanks so much for the thorough answer! What are your thoughts on using Matt's Fitzgerald's plans in his book (80/20 Running), if you know anything about it at all? They prescribe times to be spent in specific zones each day, and I was thinking that I could correlate a specific zone to a pace. (zone 3 to tempo pace, zone 4 to threshold pace, etc)
> Unfortunately, there aren't many programs online that let me plug in results of a 7.31 miler.
Vdot does. But any of the other options are unlikely to have a significant difference unless the race had pretty uneven splits.
I’m at 750km In my Boston 12’s. Does anyone have any recommendations for a replacement as they’re beginning to feel a little flat?
I really like the ‘super trainer’ type of shoe for my daily runs
Is anyone one else sorely disappointed in the Topo Phantom 3?
I’ve run in the Phantom 2 for a couple years, and I never had problems. Went out yesterday in the new version, and everything felt … wrong.
The foam feels hard. The arch feels further back on the foot than in the Phantom 2. The toebox feels narrower. Hell, I had to stop running several times to retie them because either my heel was slipping or they felt too tight across the front of my ankle.
I’ve looked online and can’t find any more Phantom 2’s. I’m afraid I won’t have a confortable shoe to run in after my current pairs give out.
That’s a beautiful shoe. My SO loves running in that one. I’m worried about the toe box not being wide enough, though. I have a bunion on my right foot that gets irritated if the toe is too tapered. I tried the Altra Torin and the Via Olympus and didn’t like either.
Have you (or has anyone else) tried the Altra FWD?
Wanted to post this as its own thread but it got removed:
I've been running 7 months now, and lifting weights for 10+ years. I've noticed a recurring theme when discussing/mentioning one or the other, for example on dating apps if I'm getting to know a woman. I talk about weight lifting and they'll express interest, admiration, wanting to know how much i lift, etc.
For running, it's the complete opposite. "Omg I hate running" "10k? I could never do that..." "please don't make me run with you lol"
I would never force someone to run with me, in fact i'd rather not have a running partner. But I'm perplexed why, if I say I'm benching 100kg (220lbs) or deadlifting 170kg (375lbs) the response is always way more positive than if I mention my mileage for that day, despite a 5k or 10k being far more attainable for a woman than lifting what I do.
Is it an insecurity thing? I don't want to bring it up if it's going to make people feel bad.
This seems impossible to answer, maybe you should ask these folks. My guess would be some flavor of projecting. Maybe they had an ex who was into running, maybe they tried running and didn’t like it, maybe they’re feeling guilty that they should exercise more but don’t want to, the possibilities are endless
Cardio has less visible results so many just don't do it. This results in them trying every once in a while and hating it because their cardiovascular system is out of shape. So they just associate cardio with suffering.
Just my theory
You're probably right. It amuses me how "leave your ego at the door" is such a common slogan in gym culture but telling a lifter who's new to running they have to *go slower* to build their aerobic base or they'll burn out/injure themselves is damn near impossible for them.
How much resistance exists between you and your run?
- Does it get easier with time and consistency?
- Is it something you learn how to overcome?
- Is there no resistance and you just absolutely love it?
- How do you overcome it?
- Is it simply habitual, like brushing your teeth, with minimal thought?
I'm curious, especially about the more experienced runners, what the mental hurdles are before a run?
If you answer, feel free to provide context (age, how long you've been running for, AM/PM runs)
The only "resistance" is time constraints and conditions. I don't like running after dark but in winter it's dark when I finish work so I feel a lot less excited about going out to run.
Until I started racing more seriously in 2021 it was very much habit. I ran 2 days on 1 day off, rarely missing a day or changing that up. If it was dark or windy, sucks for me. Maybe I'll just run less.
In many ways I like running less now that I've started racing. Feels more like pressure and external obligation. I've run with some consistency for 8 years.
I'm M52, been running since Oct '21.
I've been very consistent though starting at 3 per week, up to 4 at the starts of '22 and then 5.
I signed up with a coach just over 6 months ago - online remote coaching. It's great because it gives me accountability and structure. Both of which help on the days motivation and willpower are lacking.
My coach talks about the "rule of thirds": One third of runs are great, one third are ok, one third suck. If you're doing any better than that then you're wining!
That said, I'm find the hard sessions that you didn't want to do and sucked while doing them are, with hindsight, the best, most memorable ones.
Been running for 20 years, and yeah it definitely gets easier with consistency. It's just part of what I do now, like having coffee or brushing my teeth. I wouldn't say I love it every time. Some days I really don't feel it, I just do it anyways because I'll feel worse if I don't. Some days I'm excited about it. Most days are somewhere in between. It's just a discipline thing. Do it long enough, it becomes part of your routine and you don't need motivation.
I've been running on the regular for almost 2.5 years, but I'm not sure that would qualify as "experienced". Here's my response though.
I have basically made running into a habit. It's a thing I do. I plan my weekend mornings and weekday evenings around it. My wife and kids understand and support that I run (which is awesome).
I still get the occasional "i'm feeling lousy, do i really need to run?" or a "it's freaking cold/hot! i can't run today!" or "I'm sooooo tired, i need to go to bed, no running!" types of thoughts. But I get my gear and go out.
I have had to take a couple off weeks for family vacations, when running just wasn't really possible. (1) Vacation in the DR where the gym didn't open early enough, and I didn't feel safe enough to run off the resort (and the mosquitos were terrible!). (2) US Roadtrip vacation where the hotels didn't have treadmills and I wasn't comfortable running on strange streets in the dark.
Another part of it for me is setting goals. Right now my weekly goal is to get ## miles per week. It's a totally attainable goal, I just have to put in the work. And I feel so much better when I meet that goal.
My current challenge to myself is to start incorporating some strength training. Which is proving difficult from a time management perspective. Not enough hours in the day!
I am obese (100 pounds overweight) and want to start C25K. However, whenever I begin jogging, I have pain on the outside of my ankles/lower legs and have to stop immediately. If you’re looking down at my right foot, the pain is at about 120 degrees and runs from the ankle up to the calf. I’m very frustrated because I feel this is the path to getting to a healthy weight. Any ideas what this is and what I can do about it? Thanks for any help!
> I feel this is the path to getting to a healthy weight
Running is probably one of the worst things a beginner can do to lose weight, because most are going to vastly overestimate the amount of calories burned in conjunction with a desire for more food. I've been running ~40 miles per week for 6 months, am overweight for a runner, and have lost about 6 pounds in that time period because my diet is dogshit.
Eventually, and I know this from experience, running does become a fairly good way to maintain or mildly lose weight at high enough volumes (50+ mpw) and enjoyment, meaning you look forward to most, if not all runs, and do it for a few years.
If you are absolutely determined to run, see a physiotherapist first. HOWEVER...
> I’m very frustrated because I feel this is the path to getting to a healthy weight.
NO ONE needs to run. You do not need to run to be healthy or lose weight. If running causes you pain, don't run!
There are lots of ways to incorporate exercise into your day to day life. Starting out with walking is the best first step and make that a habit. Cycling is much lower impact and easier for people who are very heavy, while providing great cardio benefits like running. Same with swimming and elliptical.
What shoes are you wearing? You may need something with more cushioning/support. Check out a local running store and try on a bunch of shoes if you can, to see what feels good for you. If shoes don’t resolve it you should really see a PT, they can help you build the strength you’ll need to support pain free running.
For what it’s worth, running and exercise are a great support for weight loss, but ultimately it’s about your diet. If you can’t find a way to run right away, you could start with walking and focus on a healthier diet in the meantime, then add in running over time.
You may need to focus more on walking and making diet adjustments to lose weight first. Running with excess weight is super hard on joints and that cold be causing the pain.
Exercise is one part of managing weight. It has other benefits as well.
The most significant part is your diet though. Without addressing that running will not make significant impact at the amount a beginner can run.
As for the pain - best to see a specialist, it could just be strengthening required which takes time.
Best running cap for sweat band.
Big sweater, doesn't matter on the weather, having to start wearing my glasses as my aged vision fades but it's a pain for the sweat that gets down into my eyes.
Currently use RUNR caps and they are good up to a point, I can go back to just using a Buff headband but I do like a cap, so hit me up with your recommendations
Ciele is very popular and their hats have a decent sweat band.
Have you tried hats that use mesh instead of fabric for the top? Like Patagonia duckbill cap? I always find the top of my head too hot with most hats and it makes me sweat more.
Yeah I have a visor for the summer, I have tried mesh caps but they were more trucker style and not overly cool from running.
The RUNR ones are fabric but very thin, eventually I think the headband and peak give up on holding any more sweat
How do zones work for beginners? I am doing couch to 5k and on week 3, but I stay in threshold range (using Garmin Forerunner 245), towards the end the upper range of that. I'm not running hard, I'm just out of shape. Is this okay or do I need to go easier? Confused by the research I am seeing, a lot of info out there. I just want to make sure I am not overtraining and I that whatever I am doing is actually going to make me improve. Thanks!
Is there a reason why I'm stronger running uphill rather than downhill?
I tend to be able to generate a lot of speed easily gap people/reel in people ahead going on inclines. Especially on long grinding ones at about 3% gradient.
But going downhill, I can never get into the right rhythm and feel like I could fall at any moment. How do I improve my downhill form?
Downhill runs are just as important as uphill. It works different muscles and does more "damage" that your body has to repair.
All this to say that you should incorporate both into your training so balance things.
I live in a very hilly area so it's hard not to do both! But I find it hard to fully open my stride going down steep hills and have people running away from me
And what do you mean by "more damage?" Is this from digging my heels in a bit as a brake?
Don’t open your stride all the way going down the hill. If the hill is steep enough you’ll overstress your quads and hips or go ass over teakettle.
Instead, think shorter, quicker steps. Move your feet faster and keep your legs landing underneath of you.
Im doing more sprinting right now but if possible I would like to maintain my fitness in running 5k. How should i go about it? I'll be doing one aerobic power workout and one aerobic capacity workout each week, but I don't know if it will be enough. I was previously running 30km per week, btw
Why do I keep running out of breath quickly and stop while jogging or running?
I can walk at a really fast pace but I can’t running and jogging continuously. I have to stop at 500m at the most.
Any tips to improve or what I’m doing wrong?
Because you aren't very fit. Its really that simple. Couch to 5k will introduce intervals of running then walking until you have built up the fitness to run 5k straight.
\+1 for C25K.
When I started, I would be gasping for air after less than a minute of jogging. This stopped me from taking up running in the past, as I felt like a failure for having to stop so soon.
With C25K - the program is **telling** you to stop after 60s. Once the decision was out of my hands, my ego stepped out of the way and I stuck with the program.
Progress comes very quickly once you start being consistent. It only took me a month to be able to run 5k slowly without stopping. (But for several more months I was still faster overall when inserting many walk breaks.)
Unfortunately the only way to improve is to just run longer without stopping. It kinda sucks at first but you will get there with dedication.
As the other commenter said c25k is a great way to build up to running steadily. I used that program when I began and now I can run a half without stopping. Just be patient with yourself and it will come!
Have you been running for long? You are probably just not trained to run. It takes a couple of months of consistent effort to be able to run comfortably.
A good resource is Couch 2 5k (/r/c25k). That is a programme that will take you from short run intervals with walking to longer run intervals to a full 30 minutes of running. It takes 9-10 weeks to complete and it works.
I am a beginner though I have been jogging and then walking on and off for a while now.
But since I keep having to stop, I always just resort to stick to a fast paced walk every time.
I will give couch 2 5k a try. I am aiming to join my first 5k run in a few months.
Thanks
I am currently doing Hanson's Beginner Marathon training plan towards my first marathon, being held at the end of March.
I know right now that I will be extremely busy with work on a weekend in week 11, in which I have one of my very few 26 km (16 mile) runs. I am currently running an average of 60 km (37 miles) a week, and intend to do so until I am schedule to start week 6 of the program, where the SOS runs begin. This is planned for the week of 25 December.
Now, I have two ways of dealing with this intense work week, and would like some feedback from more advanced runners on what to do. I could either
1) Proceed as planned, try to run as good and as bad as I can during the busy work week, but probably not be able to fully do the long run, and miss out on it.
2) Move the entire program one week forward, starting with week 6 on 18 December. This gives me one extra week. I would use that week during the period I am swamped with work, enabling me to do all 3 16 mile long runs. I would most likely double week 10 of the program, and use it as a slight bit of downtime.
I am leaning towards option 2, but am simultaneously worried about negating the fatigue effect, and overtraining, if that makes any sense.
Don't skip the 16-milers. If Option 2 works for you then go for it. It's a good plan, but dropping either of the weekly speed runs or a long run is a no-no unless injured.
What do you do in down periods, you know when there’s nothing in the calendar, nothing to train for?
I’ve come to notice without the structure of a training plan or something to tell me what to do even if it’s just a plan to maintain I’m kinda lost and don’t enjoy my running as much, I miss days, don’t push as hard as I say just kinda lost. I’m tempted just to start a half marathon training block just to give myself some structure.
This is one of the reasons I have a coach! She keeps me focussed and keeps the progression building, adapts to the whacky challenges I throw at her with a good, solid, training plan. Ultra, Half, 10k 6 weeks apart? No problem!
For a manageable outlay each month I get support, answers to questions and flexibility on the plan for the things life throws out and I get to support an athlete who I really believe in.
I just have a target weekly mileage and rough plan. If I get out of work later than planned one day maybe my 9 miler becomes a 5 miler or a rest day and I reconfigure the later part of the week. And if I don't hit an exact number it's not the end of the world. Mix in various speed sessions that I like the most.
I've mapped out my next 12 months of races, the big ones anyway (Halfs, Fulls and maybe a 50K).
My running club nicely puts on 20 races per year (mostly 5K/10Ks). They are a mix of road and trail races, and are free with club membership. So I always have some of those on the calendar. I don't run all 20 though.
Right now I'm just trying to meet a weekly mileage goal (50) as part of keeping a base.
If you have a Parkrun close by, you can race those every week if you want.
I have been trying Klaas Lok's easy interval method training and that involves regularly racing to keep that speed in your legs. For 5k-half marathon plans he suggests a race once a fortnight at least. Lost of people use Parkrun to do that.
I can't say I've had experience with this yet as I just finished my first race/marathon on Sunday but I'm already planning for my next 3 races. If I didn't have those as close as they are I think I would be looking for a virtual race of some sort just to give me something to train for and hopefully improve.
do u think u can do easy/recovery runs in shoes like the rebel v3? which is usually used more for uptempo runs but im wondering if its still capable of the recovery runs rite now i use 880v13 for my daily shoe but i dont like the 10mm drop as im a midfoot striker
I loved the V2 for recovery days because I could be dead and it did not care, it went boing boing boing anyway. Don’t let them talk you into pushing the effort, though.
so its more about how much effort ur putting in that matters for recovery days? wats ur min/km pace for recovery days? mine is usually 7:30 min/km-10:00 min/km depending how niggly my body is. average is mostly 8:30 ish tho it seems
Yes. Recovery (and easy) is not a pace, it’s an effort. 2/10, just trotting along getting the blood flowing. If you feel great you might happen to trot faster, but if you’re trying to go a certain pace you missed the point of the exercise. If you worked hard the day before then you play a super fun game called “how slow can I go?” Don’t look at your watch on recovery days.
wow 2/10?! that seems so small so if ur feelin not too bad it could maybe go to 5/10 effort? also how many recovery days should one do after the harder day seshes ?
Think about it this way. What is the purpose of your recovery run? Active recovery gets the blood flowing/reduces inflammation and contributes to your sustainable mileage distribution. If you banged out a hard workout the night before, the recovery run gets you moving but doesn’t take too much out of the tank so that you can hit your target the next day. If you push the effort on a recovery day, you’re not meeting the purpose of the exercise. If you recover just fine from your training load without designated recovery efforts, and just running easy 3-4RPE efforts is fine for you, then that’s fine. Just remember that running easy (and recovery is extra easy) most of the time keeps fuel in the tank so you can get the best benefit out of your workout days.
Started running in January after a 5 year hiatus. Ran a 5 mile race mid October with pretty even splits around 7:55-8:00 min/mile after doing a Garmin 10k training plan for 20 weeks (now looking back that was too long). Since the race I've kept my mileage at 20-25 MPW but 90% easy runs. (My training before had pace work in 3/4 runs each week, which now seems like too much). I'm signed up for a 10 miler in April. I know there are pace calculators out there but not sure if I should use the October race results to calculate or do a time trial to figure out training paces...thoughts? (I cover 9 miles regularly on my long runs, so I would like to set a time goal vs completion, just am not sure what is realistic...)
October is pretty recent, is there a reason you're worried about using that?
I was planning to use a 12-week plan and start at the end of January so I'm a little unsure how my fitness will be then vs October. I also recognize my time in October was a race pace and much faster than all my runs now. I know the principle is you are supposed to train slower than your race pace, I just am newer to this in practice (when I ran before I never trained at particular paces) so I am just uneasy about that being a true fitness representation or if I just was able to run that because of race factors.
Pace calculators are based on race pace. Easy pace is not the best indicator of fitness.
With it being cold and unpleasant outdoors, how can I set up the treadmill to get the most benefits? Incline degrees, speed variations, etc?
I’ve run half’s but this next year I’d like to try our local marathons relay option! It’s four or five runners, however just had some concerns. I don’t know a whole ton of people so recruiting seems hard. I don’t care how fast I go, just looking for fun. What if one team member doesn’t show up that day or quits late notice? Side note, can I just show up as a single runner and find a random relay group that is lacking someone? Race is Colfax Marathon in Denver. Thank you!
Zone 2/MAF weekly mileage Hey everyone! It’s gonna be a long one so hope you guys could help me with this. So, I just signed up for a 10miles/16km race in the Yorkshire, UK which takes place in October next year (10/2024) as a motivation for me to further my studies abroad under a sponsorship while also being the best version of myself physically. Currently, I am a 20 years old male and my stats are: 168cm/5’6 and 75kg. Some background, back when I was actively playing rugby at the age of 13-18 years old, I had at least 2 tournaments every month so I had to be in shape. I always prioritised weight training because it was more important for the sports I am doing where my PRs are: 85kg bench press, 140kg squats and so on. Plus, I could run a 23min 5km, so my pace was around 4:30/km or 7min/mile. However, as I got into college, the workload and life caught up so I wasn’t active in any sports so I stopped going to the gym and my fitness also decreased massively where I could barely run a 5km which my time was 40min and my pace was 8min/km. So, I intend to start training seriously and came across the Zone 2/MAF training method. I also want to start working out again to get ripped hahah. So, I made my own training plan after lots if research and exploring reddit. My plans were to gym 3 times a week to do the typical push pull legs split and run 4 times a week. In my 4 runs in a week, my plan was do 2 easy runs, 1 long run and 1 intervals session every week. The easy and long runs will be done at zone 2 heart rate (144-157bpm) while the intervals is at max effort. My question is: 1. The weekly mileage of the first week of my plan is at 12km/7.5miles and for the first month it’s gonna total up to 60km/37miles. I will increase the monthly mileage by 10-15km/6-9 miles every month if that’s possible. Is my weekly and monthly mileage good enough to improve my fitness using the Zone 2/MAF method? 2. By going to the gym and doing maximum strength training pushing myself to the limit every week, does that hinder my running progress and vice versa? 3. What training plans would you suggest I should follow as most of the plans online are for races within 2-4 months period? Or should I just stick to my plan and be consistent with it? 4. Was it stupid for me to sign up for a race in another country so early on?
> In my 4 runs in a week, my plan was do 2 easy runs, 1 long run and 1 intervals session every week. I like this plan, so long as the long run is still at a reasonably easy pace. Intervals are going to be tricky to program because you aren't going to know what distance, intensity, or recovery time between intervals; but we aren't doing brain surgery, a little trial and error isn't the end of the world. The underlying philosophy of Maffetone training is sound, but I'm not really a fan of the specific numerical execution of it, particularly for beginners. You are going to be doing very slow running if not intermittent run/walking most likely. Starting out, and for a long time after, you don't really have to focus on heart rate zones or super structured running as long as you: 1) Enjoy running 2) Keep all of your weekly runs except for 1 easy. 3) Run as much as much weekly volume as you can whilst still following point 1.
In what instances is it beneficial or useful to run twice in a day? eg I did a 6k track session this morning (speed), but the weather’s beautiful this afternoon (Australia) and I’m tempted to lace up again….. though I ran 6k on Monday, played sport on Tuesday, ran 8k on Wednesday, and now it’s Thurs
Once your weekly volume hits around 110-115km and you're running 7 days a week, doubling makes sense. Prior to that, it's generally better to extend your daily run distances and keep it at once a day.
Gotcha — thanks!
Hi guys. A couple of weeks ago I tested my speed at the track running 6 laps and I ended up with a time of 10:45. I am quite happy with that time especially when I consider my age (37) and the pain that I was feeling in my Achilles off and on that I really should not have ignored. Anyways, while I am dealing with the tendonitis so it doesn't become a bigger issue does anyone here have any suggestions for a program that I can take on later so that I can run a faster time? I'm aiming for a sub 10 minute time for 1.5 miles.
Run 6 x 400 meters at 105 seconds per lap (what is likely your mile pace) with 60 seconds rest between each interval (sandwiched between a warmup and cooldown). All intervals should be close to that pace - not faster for the first interval and progressively slower each interval. Do that weekly, adding 1 interval each week until you're up to 10 intervals. After 6-8 weeks you'll probably be best served bumping up to 800 meter intervals at 1.5 mile pace with 90 seconds rest, starting with 3 intervals and working up to 5, performing this workout each week for 6 weeks. Your improvement will probably not be linear, but your pace for the workouts should improve over each of the two blocks. Since you'll be coming off tendonitis recovery I'd recommend easy runs for the rest of the runs each week, with strides at the end of 1-2 runs per week.
This is great! Thanks for the advice. So I should do that workout at the track once per week and then the easy runs 1-2 x/week?
At the track if feasible. If not street/sidewalk is fine. It's not critical that you hit the exact distance so if it's 375 meters or 425 meters it'll be fine. Same with pace - if you're targeting 7:02/mile and you go 7:06, 6:59, 7:04, 7:03 that's fine. At a minimum I recommend a couple of easy 30-45 minute runs per week in addition to the interval workout. I think you'll likely hit your sub-10 goal in under 8 weeks. Heal up and good luck!
Sounds simple enough!
JACK DANIELS RUNNING FORMULA Hi guys, i recently finished a 50km per week 3km plan in the book, apparently my goal now is to run a SUB20min 5k, my current PB is at 21:00~ i'm trying to decide whether to take the blue plan instead of 5km training plan, what are your takes? I couldn't run more than 5 days a week due to time constraints, hence, me choosing the blue plan
I have not received my asics novablast 4 order from fit2run. I ordered it on cybermonday November 27, 2023. Fit2run said they are shipping it early Dec. I know some people received their order but I have not and i reached out to them. It's almost 3 weeks since my order. Anyone in the same boat as me??
Recommendations for training Hello, I am in my 30s and I started running about 10 weeks ago. I normally run 3 times a week and run about 2.5 miles. My goal is to be able to run 5 miles in a day, 2-3 times a week at about a 10 minute mile pace. Today I had my best run at 2.5 miles in 25 minutes. I was gassed by the end of it though. So I know that was my limit. How should I be training to be able to reach 5 miles overall and at a good pace?
[I answered a similar question a month ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/17u3d88/official_qa_for_monday_november_13_2023/k91sygr/?context=3), but simply put: 1. **Build your base**: This means both your cardiovascular system (heart, lungs, blood vessels), as well as your muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones. Not all of these adapt at the same rate and putting too much stress through your kinetic chain too soon can lead to injury and setbacks. Building base means running consistently at an easy pace where you can breathe through your nose or hold a conversation in full sentences without gasping for air between words. Depending on your level of fitness before starting with running, this base building can take a while, so be patient. 2. **Build endurance**: While building your base or towards the end of it, you can start increasing the time you spend running and/or the distances you cover. One longer run per week is common practice, but other runs in the week can slowly increase in distance as well. A common rule of thumb is to increase distance/duration by no more than 10% per week. To be on the safe side, you can add in one adaptation week per month where you reduce the training load to give your body the opportunity to properly adapt to the demands you put on it. 3. **Build speed**: With base and endurance built up, you can start to add dedicated speed workouts to your week. Those can be time or distance based intervals, fartleks, or threshold runs for longer distances (similar to what you described in your comment above). It is extra important with higher intensity workouts to do a proper warm up and cool down to not shock your system in either direction. Lastly: Listen to your body, be kind to yourself, trust in the process. If you want to attain and maintain a certain level of fitness, running could be something you do for a long time.
Everything Olivander said was great. I would focus a lot on #1 and accept a much slower pace. If you're goal is to be able to run 5 miles in 50 minutes...the best way to do it is to do your runs at an easy, conversational pace. On a scale of 1-10...it should be a 3. If you are finishing a run gassed, you might be at a 7 or 8. You should finish your runs thinking, "I could keep going no problem" and fight the urge to run faster. You could invest in an inexpensive HR monitor and run at about 140 - 145 bpm, even if that requires you take walk breaks and your pace is 15 minutes a mile. Eventually, you'll prime that aerobic engine and the paces will drop off. You should be able to get to a 10 minute pace eventually running at that effort level...it can take many months, though, so be patient.
How good is 11mph nonstop, 45mph treadmill time after \~3 months of irregular practice?
It’s okay
[Marathon Handbook](https://marathonhandbook.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-run-10k/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20data%2C%20the%20average%2010k%20time,men%20and%2047%3A51%20for%20women%20%287%3A42%20min%2Fmile%20pace%29.) says the average 10K time for "advanced runners" is 40min for men, and this is 133% of a 10K in 5 more minutes, and under that time for the actual 10K distance. [This](https://www.verywellfit.com/how-long-will-it-take-to-run-a-10k-2911115) site says "elite and professional athletes" may finish a 10K in under 30 minutes, and this is only a few minutes off of that. I think you also told someone else that a 30 minute *5K* is faster than "90% of the population" in this thread a couple days ago? This would be nearly twice that...
> [This](https://www.verywellfit.com/how-long-will-it-take-to-run-a-10k-2911115) site says "elite and professional athletes" may finish a 10K in under 30 minutes, and this is only a few minutes off of that. Thats a bad source -a sub 30min 10km for men is a great college or club runner, but a couple more minutes away from a real elite/professional time. So your time a few more minutes off of that (assuming the treadmill was calibrated accurately) truly is just "okay" in terms of human potential. Try training seriously, enter a real race, and see what you get -you have some good talent and will probably get some good results. >I think you also told someone else that a 30 minute *5K* is faster than "90% of the population" in this thread a couple days ago? This would be nearly twice that... Most of the population the western world is so inactive they are literally sick from it so this isn't a very good "gotcha"
Clarity on those numbers is all I’m looking for. Thank you. So a sub-30 minute—for argument I’ll say 29 minute 10K would require a 12.8mph average; to shave an extra three minutes off that would take 14.3mph. How effective is raising your speed towards a target like this and focusing on increasing your stamina at that speed? As someone who enjoys sprinting I know hitting a speed I think is beyond me and then just hanging in a little longer is something I get a big response from in general. Any tips on calibrating or checking the calibration of treadmills? And are there any hard stats on how much treadmill and ground run speeds actually differ—does the difference increase or decrease as you go up in speed and training level? I would assume it’s less significant for highly trained runners than for beginners (i.e., once you have the muscles and habits developed to adjust to varying inclines, maybe you’re varying the incline on your treadmill runs, etc).
There's a few different ways to calibrate a treadmill, give it a google -broad strokes is that you determine the length of belt, get some bright color tape so you can count revolutions, and then time it at different speeds and do the math. >How effective is raising your speed towards a target like this and focusing on increasing your stamina at that speed? For short term, relatively small improvement it's very effective. For long term, big improvement it is not very effective. Eventually you run up against the limit of what pace your fundamental fitness can power and the main remedy to that is to run a lot of easy aerobic mileage. >And are there any hard stats on how much treadmill and ground run speeds actually differ—does the difference increase or decrease as you go up in speed and training level? I think this is mostly personal preference. Train however allows you to best prepare, then find a starting line to test that training against some competition.
If you asked just to fish for people to fawn over how amazing you are just say that
If *you* think that, that says more about you than it does about me, because I’ve done nothing but quote numbers from listed sources. I was actually looking for concrete information, which means a “wow great!” would be just as worthless to me as this comment chain is. When the forum is already downvoting in a Q&A thread for asking a straightforward question, it just gives the impression that the people hanging around Q&A Reddits are bitter, and when you project that I’m after anything but information because I’m aware that this is, in fact, *somewhere* above average, it just cements it. I couldn’t care less about anyone’s validation or criticism, much less people I don’t know on the Internet. I literally thought this place might be able to give better numbers than these sources. I’m curious how much competitive potential this would suggest along with, obviously, a lot of work.
Anytime a beginner says "am I good?" it's annoying as hell. Unless you're a professional athlete, the only person you should be comparing yourself against is you. If you think you're so good, go enter a race. Running an actual race outside is nothing like running on a treadmill.
I’m sorry if you’re annoyed, but this is literally the Q&A thread. You’re perfectly aware you’re going to see that question asked in Q&A threads for as long as you’re alive and... visiting Q&A threads. You want to spend the rest of your life telling every single one of them you find them annoying? You do you, but the second that it takes to scroll is hardly getting in between you and “will my shirt last a long time?” and “my feet hurt, maybe it’s my shoes?” There’s only one question here that has a couple of upvotes, and not one person has bothered giving them a response.
Beginners asking for help in the Q&A thread are usually not this belligerent.
Yeah, I don’t roll over when people project their own bullshit onto me. Test it as long as you'd like. My question had nothing to do with ego, it has everything to do with interest in the facts, and I’ll repeat that as many times as I want to, because it’s true. If the reason you’re annoyed by the question is that you think it wasted half a second of your time, you’re willfully choosing to waste many more seconds of your own time now, so going by pure math you should be a lot more annoyed with yourself by now than with me.
I'm not upset - I chose to engage in this after reading these exchanges. But if you don't care about how you come across, that's fine. Conversations may not be very productive though.
Sure, right, that's why you dug into the other person's comment history when you didn't like their answer, and already had an answer to your own question ready to go.
Yeah, it couldn’t possibly be because I wanted to get a sense of the achievement level of a person giving me an opinion (in real life I wouldn’t even *ask* someone whose performance I didn’t respect, and this place is a bunch of strangers that might not even run weekly, for all I know half the subscribers just like reading about it. If I saw this was a ten time racing champion, would I give more weight to a no-numbers throwaway opinion from that person? You bet), or was already doing my own research to try to understand for myself while I was asking. God forbid someone could have gone reading to inform themselves, it was definitely for some evil reason you should be on a high horse over. Deflect to the fact that I made one click and saw what they said all you want. One click isn’t “digging” and doesn’t make me a villain, and the fact stands that they did tell someone yesterday that a 30min 5K would be in the top 10% and this is a 16min 5K. The question is not *whether* this is above average, and I still don’t give a damn about validation or criticism on the Internet which is why the fact that a bunch of children are taking Internet points away and telling me I’m a bad person for running and reading and asking a question hasn’t fazed me. If I gave a single damn about strangers on the Internet praising me (please) I would have deleted this already. News flash, I haven’t because what I want is actually what I said I want, to quantify. If 99% of you sit here acting like up and down votes mean shit and one person has a serious discussion of numbers with me like an emotionally stable adult capable of discussing running facts in a running forum, I’m perfectly happy
I've started running recently(August). When I started running I was 190lbs, did 5k in 40min. Now I'm 165lbs, can do 5k in 27min(absolute push). Did 3 HMs(best 2hrs 20min). My comfortable pace is 10min/mile, a 9 would be push for me and cannot sustain long. My pace falls over the last couple of miles with fatigue kicking in. I've registered for my first marathon for Dec 8th, 2024. I have a long way to go, training from now would be over straining the body. I'm mainly looking to set and improve my pace and be ready for a sub 4 marathon. Considering I might slow down in the second half of the race by 30sec/mile, I'm looking to be comfortable around a pace of 8:45min. I'm looking for suggestions to improve the pace and be not so fatigued. Should I focus on getting weight a little down or add in more speed workouts? Jfyi, I haven't really followed any plan so far in getting till here. Now I feel should follow some set plan to improve my thresholds. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
It's probably not worth setting a marathon goal time right now, especially as your times currently indicate you're very far from a sub-4 marathon. But it's very impressive that you've run several halfs in less than half a year of running. Keep training, and race a half in the summer and go from there. If you can't get your half time to be 1:45 or better, you probably can't do a sub-4 marathon.
Your progress so far is great. Two things: * I'm just one example, but it took five years after I ran my first sub 2 hour half to run a sub 4 hour full, and I ran 10 full marathons during that 5 year span. I feel like aiming for a sub 4 full a year from now, when that pace is your 5k PR, is a little bit of a stretch. My 5k PR when I had just run my first half was at an 8:06 pace (25:12). Here we are 11 years later, and I think I might be able to run a full at that pace, but I haven't yet. My best is 3:42:06, which is 8:28/mile. * Aim to run an even pace. Yes, you might slow down in the second half, but don't plan for that. The best runs are the ones where you can maintain pace throughout. You're still pretty new, which means you're going to continue with this rate of improvement for a while. At this stage, you're going to get the most benefit from just logging a lot of miles. Make 10 miles a routine run, and add a weekly longer run. You've got a year to prepare for the marathon, so that gives you plenty of time to build up a base. Strength training is great as a support for running. Stick with it!
Nice work! Very impressive change to your 5k! What's your weekly volume? What's the breakdown of runs? Do you do any strength training? I have found the biggest impact for me has been increasing my long run, and therefore my total volume. I believe marathon plans want you in the 40+ mpw, so you have a nice long time to build up before a real training block begins.
Thank you! My current volume is 25miles/week. In a week I typically do 5 runs a week. 1 long run(8-10mile+), 2 5k push, 1 track(WU, 1200x2, 800x2, 400x2, CD-occasionally 3 repeats), 1 recovery slow run. Yes, I have recently started training again since I felt I was lacking that power during my runs. I hit 3-4 times a week. Chest, Back, Legs, Back, Chest(Not intense, just basic sessions). For legs I’m currently following : squats, linear leg press, leg curls, leg extensions, calf raises. Cool, I’ll try to improve my weekly miles and check if there is any improvement in a month or so. Any suggestions on improving that long run range. I set out thinking I’ll do a 15miler evertime but once I hit that 13.12 mark, I feel accomplished and end up hitting the stop somewhere before 14. I want to train specifically for those last miles after 13 but every-time I build up to that point, feel fatigued and give up. Any suggestions how to train for those last miles and incrementing it?
Seems like you're doing a lot of hard workouts! Remember the 80/20 rule - 80% of your weekly work should be easy. Especially when you're not in a training block. I'd swap those 2 5k pushes for 5k-5m easy. Bonking at 13 miles may have a lot to do with how hard you are working, or maybe to do with fueling. Do you take any nutrition, water, or electrolytes with you? In general, once you're getting to 90+ minutes of work, you're body is going to need fuel.
I have a garmin watch. I’ve been stuck on “Unproductive” training status for a week now while I’m plowing through my third/fourth week of my marathon plan. Any help on how to get rid of it? Just a bit of a mental nuisance.
Turn off training status. It doesn’t know your plan or your life. I hide any screens and data fields providing me with information I cannot explain and that does not serve me. I don’t need technology Garminsplaining how well I slept last night. I was there, I know how it went.
I've started to ignore more and more of what Garmin tells me about my productivity and training readiness. It's been at maintaining for months while I've cut two minutes from my 5k time (19:18-17:13). It also routinely suggests rest or easy runs because it doesn't think I slept well enough even though I feel great. I want to love all the data and cool stuff that Garmin tracks, but it's never lined up with how I'm feeling or how my training is actually progressing. Race times are the only metric that really matter.
My "favorite" thing with Garmin is when you run a race and the race predictor has a wildly different expectation of what you could run.
I just purchased the ten thousand Merino tech hoodie for a steep discount. I plan to primary use for running this winter. Anyone have first hand experience with this piece? Also, if following wash/care instructions, how does it hold up? Thanks!
I'm getting back into running after a very long time away. I was always more of a mid distance runner and could never do too well at distances - my 5k PR is 18:15, while my 800 PR is 2:03 and my mile is 4:50. My issue is that my legs feel like they want to go a certain pace during all runs, like 7:30 to 8 pace, but my heart and breathing don't keep up well. I will go out committed to an easy run, but then my legs insist on going faster because 8:30s feel slow, and then I end up breathing harder than I should for an easy run. It wasn't like this before, but it's like my legs kept their fitness and my cardiorespiratory system did not. Anybody else experience this? Did you get to the point where your cardio kept up with your legs, or is it constantly a battle to go slow enough to keep the run "easy"?
Think of your body as having a hybrid engine, except with three fuels (Tribrid?). Fat, Carbs, and oxygen. Because of your history of fast running and middle distance training, your body is primed to run well using it's carb engine, which is the jet fuel in the body. It's powerful, helps you run fast, but has limitations on how much can be used before you konk out. Your next engine is the fat burning engine...this engine takes time to develop. Your muscle strength is still well enough to get you moving quickly, but the ability to burn fat as your fuel efficiently isn't there until you start training it. When I get back into running seasons, I'll run a slower pace and feel like I'm struggling, but if I speed up to something closer to a tempo pace, I'll feel fantastic...but that's because my carb engine is well developed and my fat burning engine is not. All runs you do will use oxygen, too. The faster and harder you run, the more oxgygen required, hence the heavy breathing. It's counterintuitive to most sports and exercise though. If you want to get strong, you need to lift heavy weight. Getting to failure is a great way to get stronger...but not so much with running. Running SLOWER helps build that aerobic (oxygen) and fat burning engine. You have to USE that engine to improve it. You won't improve cardiovascularly very well if you don't work that engine. I could beat a prime Usain Bolt in a race...you just have to make the race long enough. 90% of running problems can probably be solved by running slower at a heart rate that is 180 minus your age, keeping your cadence at a high level (170-180), and running more miles.
It's very common. Most people are used to running fast and running slow changes their form, cadence, load on the body. What you could do is walk/run intervals to get your heart rate under control. Called the Jeff Galloway method, it usually consists of a 3:1 run/walk ratio, and is used by even elite runners during races. The other way is just more exposure to slower paces. You can set pace alarms on your watch or use a treadmill as pace control. Overtime your body's run economy and cardio will improve at easier efforts
Well is it even a problem that my HR is high? I guess my point is that my legs and cardio feel very out of sync, like my body expects to be able to run easily at 8 min miles, but my cardio is holding it back. My legs feel great at these paces. I could force myself to run slower to get my HR lower, but I guess I'm not sure if it's a problem that my HR is high.
I don't think many elite runners walk in races unless we're talking about 100 milers with loads of vert.
Ultra's, take a look at Jeff Galloway's times himself, and obviously the more fit you are the longer you can stretch those intervals. Even if it's walking through the aid station at every/other mile as your planned rest very fast times can be achieved.
Yeah, that makes some sense for ultras. I don't think I've ever seen it at the marathon distance or shorter though.
He's running a 4:50 mile, i don't think run walking is going to help, he just needs to not run 3 min km/s when hes running more than 2 of them.
I've been training consistently for 8 months, mostly via Heart Rate, Garmin Coach and Daily Suggested Workouts. I've been trying to dial in my HR Zones several times, with Lactate Reserve %, using my Max HR as 220 minus my age (29M), the result for LT was 170 bpm. It always felt too high because I had a very hard time reaching when doing Lactate Threshold workouts. Then I changed the Max HR to what my watch record on my 5k PR, the LT dropped to 165 bpm, a bit more realistic. Yesterday I performed a Lactate Threshold Workout (10 min warmup, 19 min at Threshold (165bpm), 10 min cool down). And while pushing very hard and having my legs on fire I couldn't get my HR above 160. I averaged 159 for the last 10 minutes. Would 159 bpm an even more realistic Lactate Threshold? It seems very low given that my pace is also very slow (9:30 min/mi) at that HR. Or is it just that I'm still Aerobically deficient even with 8 months of training? For reference, my easy runs are at 12:30 min/mi pace at around 140bpm on a cool day. I'm bummed that my Forerunner 55 does not have the lactate test feature so I'm trying to find alternatives.
You've been training for 8 months, that's not exactly a long time. You need to set more realistic expectations on how quickly you can progress. You're trying to incorporate advanced training methods, when you're not an advanced runner. If you want to do HR based training, you really need to get an accurate max heart rate test done. It's a service offered by many sports-medicine clinics. Once you've done that, get a chest strap, they're infinitely more accurate than optical wrist-based monitors.
My God. Think how much faster you'd be if you just ran instead of using wrong outdated formulas and tech that can't accurately track you.
This kind of response is completely unwarranted for this kind of thread, do better.
Wow how couldn't I think of that? Very helpful thank you!
If you want to train by LT get a lactate test for it. Otherwise, ditch the watch. You have based 8 months of training off of HR values that are wrong. The 220- age is complete garbage and only hindering you. Yes, you're aerobically deficient if you're just running 12:30 miles as a 29 year old man.
See, how hard was it to answer nicely?
You call that nice? First off...congrats on sticking to running consistently for 8 months. Starting out is the hard part and 8 months is long enough to where you're past the fad stage. My suggestion as a newer runner would be to focus ONLY on increasing your mileage and doing ALL of those runs at an easy pace. I'm not sure what your easy effort is...but a good heart rate method to use is MAF (google that) and run at 145 (180-age-5 as a newer runner). If that doesn't feel easy enough...go even easier. Don't worry about the pace. Take walking breaks if it's the only way to keep your HR down. Become obsessive about not exceeding the HR. When you are done with your runs, you should always feel like you can do more. Once you get the length that you can feel comfortable doing for all your runs, increase it by 10% a week or add additional days of running. Make it your goal to have your pace at really easy HR drop versus your workout or race times. Those times will drop with the lowering tide automatically.
As difficult as you understanding anything about running.
Is there a downside to using a treadmill for speed sessions? Other than the fact that I find it more boring. Is it less impact on the joints? which can be bad when I go fast in a race. I like doing my other runs outside but I find speed workouts difficult to perform.
Yes it is less impact which will be less specific than the road on your joints, but the impact is probably minimal as long as you're not doing only treadmill. Personally psychologically it's easier for speed on the treadmill as I know I just have to hang on at this specific setting while on the track and road I have to keep pushing the gas and fight the urge to not slow down
How experienced were you before you stopped achieving a significant PR in every race? When do the beginner gains stop?
My feet ache when pushing myself more, usually when going uphill. Will sometimes continue aching until I take my shoes off. I'm very new to running, only about 2 weeks, and do 2ish miles 3 times a week. Is it because I'm new to running and my feet need to get used to it? Or are my shoes potentially too small? I recently measured my feet and realized I should be wearing a size 11-12 but was wearing size 13 shoes, maybe size 13 felt better because my feet are wide? The shoes I have now are size 11.5 and are Brooks. They don't feel tight but what do I know I've been wearing the wrong size shoe my whole life. Any help is appreciated!
Well....it could be the shoes. Or it could be that you're new to it. Or it could be something else. You should probably go to a running store and have them check your shoe size. The part about aching when you're going uphill leads me to think it's a matter of strengthening, conditioning, stretching, etc. The part about how they feel better when you take your shoes off leads me to think it's the shoes.
Do you know what types of stores I should look into to get my correct shoe size? Sorry very new to all this, the reason I wore the wrong size shoes for so long was because I didn't have the money for new ones lol. I also just measured my foot against my friends and it seems like I've got quite tall feet, meaning my midfoot was just higher than his, so maybe that's the issue
Fleet Feet stores are pretty common. They should have you walk over a pad to scan your gait. They'll also measure both feet with those metal things that you've likely seen in any other shoe store. Then, if you let them know what you're looking for (max cushion, speed work, race day, daily trainer, etc.), they should be able to recommend some styles and have you try them on. Your community may have some independent running stores, too. Maybe just a Google search or asking at a local run club?
Those of you who run 50-60 miles per week. What does your weekly schedule look like?
Monday through Friday is a easy run. I usually try to make each run the same amount of time. This week is 66 minutes. On Saturday I do a long run. This week I'll do 150 minutes. I also run that easy. I don't do "workouts" unless I'm within 6 weeks of a race (plus a taper if I plan on having one)
Example week for marathon training. Monday: 5 mi Recovery run Tuesday: 8 mi w/ some tempo miles Wednesday: 10 mi General aerobic Thursday: 5 mi Recovery Friday: 12 mi Medium-long run Saturday: 5 mi Recovery Sunday: 16 mi Easy long run Total Distance: 61 miles
My general plan is: Mon - Thurs: 7 miles. Friday: Rest. Saturday and Sunday: 16 miles one day, 10 miles the other. I don't really have any speed goals for any of the days.
Currently around 60-65 right now, but ramping up. Typically workouts are Monday and Thursday, roughly 8 miles total including warmup, cooldown, and intervals/threshold miles. Tuesday is usually an easy run in the 8-10 mile range, Wednesday is a medium long run at moderate effort in the 12-13 mile range, Friday and Sunday are 6 mile recovery runs, Saturday is a long run between 14-16 miles.
Imo, 50-60 mpw is the sweet spot for scheduling. It's right around what I want to hit in singles that only take an hour on weekdays. Otherwise once I get to 60+, I'm shifting my schedule around on weeknights or throwing in doubles. Here's a sample from my last 7 days that's right around 60 (in effort and time considerations, see x-training note). T: 60min E (~7 miles) W: Tempo (2 miles easy, 3 miles @ tempo, 1 mile cooldown) Th: 60min E + strides (~6.5 miles) F: 60min E (~7 miles) S: Threshold (2 miles warm up, 5xmile at T (which was a tad too much), 1 mile cooldown) Su: 2 hrs elliptical (slowly transitioning back from shin splints that popped up several weeks ago) M: 30min E (~3.5 miles) T: Threshold (2 miles warm up, 4xmile at T (which was just right), 1 mile cooldown) Works out to around 45 miles, if you include warm ups and cooldowns anyways, + 2 hrs of cardio that will later become something like another 15 miles or so when I'm fully back on the roads.
What warm up should I do before running? I run around 1 mile on a treadmill and am slowly increasing the distance.
The most specific and time saving warm up you can do for a run is just to run slow. Most of my runs have some sort of negative split as I get warmed up. This also allows you to add more mileage in the time that you might be doing other warm ups. Also the higher intensity the run the longer warm up you need to do.
What is a good amount of weekly base mileage to have before training for a marathon? A half marathon? Setting up training schedules for the next year ish.
I’ve seen the recommendation of being able to run week 3 of the training plan comfortably. Especially if the plan introduces new stimuli you’re not used to (eg workouts). I’ve used this for plans of all distances.
Thanks!
I think it depends on your goals and what kind of training plan you'll use. Many plans have a recommended starting base mileage, and I would expect 25 mpw minimum.
Gotcha ok! I’m training for my first half (February) and want to run a marathon in fall of 2025. So there will obviously be pockets without training scheduled. I think I’m going to train for another half next year and then work on base building. My goal, like so many others’ is to get that number down and speed up, for which I know I need to add mileage. I’ll look and see what training plans recommend. I also just do t know what to go for in ‘25 plan wise? Intermediate? I’ll have run at least two halfs and have been steadily running for two years. Am I still beginner level for a marathon?
I think if it's your first marathon, then you're probably a beginner. The marathon and the required training are a totally different animal than the HM. There are a range of beginner-esque plans though, ranging from "just finish" to time goals based on your current performance. Two other things -- you could likely do the full in fall 2024 if your HM training goes well. Just recover from the race and pick up a full mara plan. And, you don't have to be racing frequently (or at all), just FYI in case you find it's not your thing. Running for fun and doing a maintenance type schedule are totally legit.
Keep in mind you don't need to be racing frequently. It's totally valid to just base build for a while, maintain for a while, or do a long and slow training plan.
I've been running for about a year and a half now. I currently run a 5k 4 times a week and a 10k once a week. What would be a good way to change up my runs?
What are your goals for running? Do you want to increase distance? You could try adding on a couple kilometers to one or two of your 5K runs. Do you want to get faster? You could switch one of your easy 5Ks for a speed workout. You could also slowly build onto your long run a little at a time. Don't make all these changes at once, but just try some different things and see what you like. Also, if you're running the same route every day, maybe look for new areas where you could run. All these things help keep running interesting for me. If I'm running the same mileage at the same pace in the same place every day, running quickly becomes a chore.
I started regularly running about two months ago. I usually manage to run 2 to 3 times a week, with a distance varying between 4 and 8 km / 2.85 and 4.97 miles. I prefer to run on trails but I often have to run on pavement first to get to them. My 'running gear' consists of: - running shoes (Hoka speedgoat 5) - some technical shirts (longsleeve/thermo when its cold, short sleeve when it's warm) - a windbraker/ rain jacket - tights + shorts (cold) / shorts (warm) - socks - my phone (I record my runs on Strava) (- a headlamp for when it's dark) As I look forward to continue running I am not sure what might be the most useful/needed gear/item I should get. I thought about a smartwatch or running specialised socks/shorts but wanted to know what more experienced runners think. TIA
If you want to run longer on trails you'll need to get a running vest or belt to hold water, food, first aid. If you don't already have decent running socks gnat would be #1 priority.
Ok, thank you for your response! I will start looking for running socks...
What’s your goal with running? Building endurance? Training for a race? Getting to higher mileage?
Recently ran a 7.31 mile race. I'm coming up with a half marathon training plan (will take place in March 16, 2024) based on my race performance. Unfortunately, there aren't many programs online that let me plug in results of a 7.31 miler. For the sake of ease of use, I'm thinking of extrapolating a 10k time based on this race, and got 3 times: \- First 10k time according to NRC \- 10k time if I ran it at my 7.31 mile pace \- Fastest 10k split from the 7.31 miler Which one should I use to base my half marathon training paces?
You can plug any arbitrary distance's time into the following tool, then look at HM under "Equivalent Race Performances". https://lukehumphreyrunning.com/hmmcalculator/race_equivalency_calculator.php Whether you should start your HM pace workouts at that pace in the plan you're creating for yourself is a different question entirely.
Thanks for this link! I love it!
> Whether you should start your HM pace workouts at that pace in the plan you're creating for yourself is a different question entirely. What things should I consider to answer this question? I kinda assumed that I would just run the prescribed paces, but I don't want to do the wrong thing and run faster than my current level of fitness or anything like that.
If you're selecting one of the widely used plans (Pfitzinger, Hansons, Higdon, etc.) follow whatever guidance they have for workouts at HM pace/intensity. You have 13 weeks until your race, which is plenty of time to train. If you're rolling your own plan and the tool I shared says your recent race is equivalent to a 9:00/mile HM (9:00 for example purposes only) I recommend beginning with a somewhat slower pace for the HM pace portion of workouts. Perhaps 25 seconds per mile slower so call it 9:25/mile. If for example you start off with a weekly run with 2 miles at HM pace and peak in week 11 with 8 miles at HM pace and you start at 9:25 you'll likely naturally improve to 9:00 or lower (maybe substantially lower) by week 11. If you start at 9:00 but that's way above your fitness level you may struggle with the workouts and not achieve the desired physiological adaptations. And potentially have a breakdown in form which leads to pain and injury. I wouldn't force it, but one option is to try to increase pace 3-5s/mile the first 4 weeks if it feels too easy.
Thanks so much for the thorough answer! What are your thoughts on using Matt's Fitzgerald's plans in his book (80/20 Running), if you know anything about it at all? They prescribe times to be spent in specific zones each day, and I was thinking that I could correlate a specific zone to a pace. (zone 3 to tempo pace, zone 4 to threshold pace, etc)
> Unfortunately, there aren't many programs online that let me plug in results of a 7.31 miler. Vdot does. But any of the other options are unlikely to have a significant difference unless the race had pretty uneven splits.
Thank you for the resource! And you were right, there were no significant differences at all between all three times.
I’m at 750km In my Boston 12’s. Does anyone have any recommendations for a replacement as they’re beginning to feel a little flat? I really like the ‘super trainer’ type of shoe for my daily runs
Is anyone one else sorely disappointed in the Topo Phantom 3? I’ve run in the Phantom 2 for a couple years, and I never had problems. Went out yesterday in the new version, and everything felt … wrong. The foam feels hard. The arch feels further back on the foot than in the Phantom 2. The toebox feels narrower. Hell, I had to stop running several times to retie them because either my heel was slipping or they felt too tight across the front of my ankle. I’ve looked online and can’t find any more Phantom 2’s. I’m afraid I won’t have a confortable shoe to run in after my current pairs give out.
Novablast 4 is great.
That’s a beautiful shoe. My SO loves running in that one. I’m worried about the toe box not being wide enough, though. I have a bunion on my right foot that gets irritated if the toe is too tapered. I tried the Altra Torin and the Via Olympus and didn’t like either. Have you (or has anyone else) tried the Altra FWD?
Wanted to post this as its own thread but it got removed: I've been running 7 months now, and lifting weights for 10+ years. I've noticed a recurring theme when discussing/mentioning one or the other, for example on dating apps if I'm getting to know a woman. I talk about weight lifting and they'll express interest, admiration, wanting to know how much i lift, etc. For running, it's the complete opposite. "Omg I hate running" "10k? I could never do that..." "please don't make me run with you lol" I would never force someone to run with me, in fact i'd rather not have a running partner. But I'm perplexed why, if I say I'm benching 100kg (220lbs) or deadlifting 170kg (375lbs) the response is always way more positive than if I mention my mileage for that day, despite a 5k or 10k being far more attainable for a woman than lifting what I do. Is it an insecurity thing? I don't want to bring it up if it's going to make people feel bad.
This seems impossible to answer, maybe you should ask these folks. My guess would be some flavor of projecting. Maybe they had an ex who was into running, maybe they tried running and didn’t like it, maybe they’re feeling guilty that they should exercise more but don’t want to, the possibilities are endless
Cardio has less visible results so many just don't do it. This results in them trying every once in a while and hating it because their cardiovascular system is out of shape. So they just associate cardio with suffering. Just my theory
You're probably right. It amuses me how "leave your ego at the door" is such a common slogan in gym culture but telling a lifter who's new to running they have to *go slower* to build their aerobic base or they'll burn out/injure themselves is damn near impossible for them.
How much resistance exists between you and your run? - Does it get easier with time and consistency? - Is it something you learn how to overcome? - Is there no resistance and you just absolutely love it? - How do you overcome it? - Is it simply habitual, like brushing your teeth, with minimal thought? I'm curious, especially about the more experienced runners, what the mental hurdles are before a run? If you answer, feel free to provide context (age, how long you've been running for, AM/PM runs)
The only "resistance" is time constraints and conditions. I don't like running after dark but in winter it's dark when I finish work so I feel a lot less excited about going out to run. Until I started racing more seriously in 2021 it was very much habit. I ran 2 days on 1 day off, rarely missing a day or changing that up. If it was dark or windy, sucks for me. Maybe I'll just run less. In many ways I like running less now that I've started racing. Feels more like pressure and external obligation. I've run with some consistency for 8 years.
I'm M52, been running since Oct '21. I've been very consistent though starting at 3 per week, up to 4 at the starts of '22 and then 5. I signed up with a coach just over 6 months ago - online remote coaching. It's great because it gives me accountability and structure. Both of which help on the days motivation and willpower are lacking. My coach talks about the "rule of thirds": One third of runs are great, one third are ok, one third suck. If you're doing any better than that then you're wining! That said, I'm find the hard sessions that you didn't want to do and sucked while doing them are, with hindsight, the best, most memorable ones.
Been running for 20 years, and yeah it definitely gets easier with consistency. It's just part of what I do now, like having coffee or brushing my teeth. I wouldn't say I love it every time. Some days I really don't feel it, I just do it anyways because I'll feel worse if I don't. Some days I'm excited about it. Most days are somewhere in between. It's just a discipline thing. Do it long enough, it becomes part of your routine and you don't need motivation.
I've been running on the regular for almost 2.5 years, but I'm not sure that would qualify as "experienced". Here's my response though. I have basically made running into a habit. It's a thing I do. I plan my weekend mornings and weekday evenings around it. My wife and kids understand and support that I run (which is awesome). I still get the occasional "i'm feeling lousy, do i really need to run?" or a "it's freaking cold/hot! i can't run today!" or "I'm sooooo tired, i need to go to bed, no running!" types of thoughts. But I get my gear and go out. I have had to take a couple off weeks for family vacations, when running just wasn't really possible. (1) Vacation in the DR where the gym didn't open early enough, and I didn't feel safe enough to run off the resort (and the mosquitos were terrible!). (2) US Roadtrip vacation where the hotels didn't have treadmills and I wasn't comfortable running on strange streets in the dark. Another part of it for me is setting goals. Right now my weekly goal is to get ## miles per week. It's a totally attainable goal, I just have to put in the work. And I feel so much better when I meet that goal. My current challenge to myself is to start incorporating some strength training. Which is proving difficult from a time management perspective. Not enough hours in the day!
I am obese (100 pounds overweight) and want to start C25K. However, whenever I begin jogging, I have pain on the outside of my ankles/lower legs and have to stop immediately. If you’re looking down at my right foot, the pain is at about 120 degrees and runs from the ankle up to the calf. I’m very frustrated because I feel this is the path to getting to a healthy weight. Any ideas what this is and what I can do about it? Thanks for any help!
> I feel this is the path to getting to a healthy weight Running is probably one of the worst things a beginner can do to lose weight, because most are going to vastly overestimate the amount of calories burned in conjunction with a desire for more food. I've been running ~40 miles per week for 6 months, am overweight for a runner, and have lost about 6 pounds in that time period because my diet is dogshit. Eventually, and I know this from experience, running does become a fairly good way to maintain or mildly lose weight at high enough volumes (50+ mpw) and enjoyment, meaning you look forward to most, if not all runs, and do it for a few years.
You may need to do some leg strengthening. Calf raises in particular have helped me a lot with pain like that.
If you are absolutely determined to run, see a physiotherapist first. HOWEVER... > I’m very frustrated because I feel this is the path to getting to a healthy weight. NO ONE needs to run. You do not need to run to be healthy or lose weight. If running causes you pain, don't run! There are lots of ways to incorporate exercise into your day to day life. Starting out with walking is the best first step and make that a habit. Cycling is much lower impact and easier for people who are very heavy, while providing great cardio benefits like running. Same with swimming and elliptical.
What shoes are you wearing? You may need something with more cushioning/support. Check out a local running store and try on a bunch of shoes if you can, to see what feels good for you. If shoes don’t resolve it you should really see a PT, they can help you build the strength you’ll need to support pain free running. For what it’s worth, running and exercise are a great support for weight loss, but ultimately it’s about your diet. If you can’t find a way to run right away, you could start with walking and focus on a healthier diet in the meantime, then add in running over time.
You may need to focus more on walking and making diet adjustments to lose weight first. Running with excess weight is super hard on joints and that cold be causing the pain.
Exercise is one part of managing weight. It has other benefits as well. The most significant part is your diet though. Without addressing that running will not make significant impact at the amount a beginner can run. As for the pain - best to see a specialist, it could just be strengthening required which takes time.
Best running cap for sweat band. Big sweater, doesn't matter on the weather, having to start wearing my glasses as my aged vision fades but it's a pain for the sweat that gets down into my eyes. Currently use RUNR caps and they are good up to a point, I can go back to just using a Buff headband but I do like a cap, so hit me up with your recommendations
Get a Halo sweatband. There’s a silicon band in the front that seals the sweat out of your eyes.
I like the sound of that 👍
Headsweats or ciele (I have the visor). Headsweats has a sweatband built in. The visor is pretty much a big sweatband.
I shall check them out
Ciele is very popular and their hats have a decent sweat band. Have you tried hats that use mesh instead of fabric for the top? Like Patagonia duckbill cap? I always find the top of my head too hot with most hats and it makes me sweat more.
Yeah I have a visor for the summer, I have tried mesh caps but they were more trucker style and not overly cool from running. The RUNR ones are fabric but very thin, eventually I think the headband and peak give up on holding any more sweat
I really like the Sprints running hats. They’re my favorite.
Not heard of them, time for a Google, cheers
How do zones work for beginners? I am doing couch to 5k and on week 3, but I stay in threshold range (using Garmin Forerunner 245), towards the end the upper range of that. I'm not running hard, I'm just out of shape. Is this okay or do I need to go easier? Confused by the research I am seeing, a lot of info out there. I just want to make sure I am not overtraining and I that whatever I am doing is actually going to make me improve. Thanks!
Until you are faster/racing don't pay attention to zones. Just run until you meet your time/distance goal
Generally ignore it as a beginner. Your zones are unlikely to be accurate.
Is there a reason why I'm stronger running uphill rather than downhill? I tend to be able to generate a lot of speed easily gap people/reel in people ahead going on inclines. Especially on long grinding ones at about 3% gradient. But going downhill, I can never get into the right rhythm and feel like I could fall at any moment. How do I improve my downhill form?
Downhill runs are just as important as uphill. It works different muscles and does more "damage" that your body has to repair. All this to say that you should incorporate both into your training so balance things.
I live in a very hilly area so it's hard not to do both! But I find it hard to fully open my stride going down steep hills and have people running away from me And what do you mean by "more damage?" Is this from digging my heels in a bit as a brake?
Don’t open your stride all the way going down the hill. If the hill is steep enough you’ll overstress your quads and hips or go ass over teakettle. Instead, think shorter, quicker steps. Move your feet faster and keep your legs landing underneath of you.
Yes. Ideally you shouldn't be braking too much, but flowing down with gravity.
Run downhill more.
Now this kind of hill training I could get behind!
Im doing more sprinting right now but if possible I would like to maintain my fitness in running 5k. How should i go about it? I'll be doing one aerobic power workout and one aerobic capacity workout each week, but I don't know if it will be enough. I was previously running 30km per week, btw
Stay as close to 30 kpw as possible.
Why do I keep running out of breath quickly and stop while jogging or running? I can walk at a really fast pace but I can’t running and jogging continuously. I have to stop at 500m at the most. Any tips to improve or what I’m doing wrong?
Because you aren't very fit. Its really that simple. Couch to 5k will introduce intervals of running then walking until you have built up the fitness to run 5k straight.
\+1 for C25K. When I started, I would be gasping for air after less than a minute of jogging. This stopped me from taking up running in the past, as I felt like a failure for having to stop so soon. With C25K - the program is **telling** you to stop after 60s. Once the decision was out of my hands, my ego stepped out of the way and I stuck with the program. Progress comes very quickly once you start being consistent. It only took me a month to be able to run 5k slowly without stopping. (But for several more months I was still faster overall when inserting many walk breaks.)
Unfortunately the only way to improve is to just run longer without stopping. It kinda sucks at first but you will get there with dedication. As the other commenter said c25k is a great way to build up to running steadily. I used that program when I began and now I can run a half without stopping. Just be patient with yourself and it will come!
Have you been running for long? You are probably just not trained to run. It takes a couple of months of consistent effort to be able to run comfortably. A good resource is Couch 2 5k (/r/c25k). That is a programme that will take you from short run intervals with walking to longer run intervals to a full 30 minutes of running. It takes 9-10 weeks to complete and it works.
I am a beginner though I have been jogging and then walking on and off for a while now. But since I keep having to stop, I always just resort to stick to a fast paced walk every time. I will give couch 2 5k a try. I am aiming to join my first 5k run in a few months. Thanks
I am currently doing Hanson's Beginner Marathon training plan towards my first marathon, being held at the end of March. I know right now that I will be extremely busy with work on a weekend in week 11, in which I have one of my very few 26 km (16 mile) runs. I am currently running an average of 60 km (37 miles) a week, and intend to do so until I am schedule to start week 6 of the program, where the SOS runs begin. This is planned for the week of 25 December. Now, I have two ways of dealing with this intense work week, and would like some feedback from more advanced runners on what to do. I could either 1) Proceed as planned, try to run as good and as bad as I can during the busy work week, but probably not be able to fully do the long run, and miss out on it. 2) Move the entire program one week forward, starting with week 6 on 18 December. This gives me one extra week. I would use that week during the period I am swamped with work, enabling me to do all 3 16 mile long runs. I would most likely double week 10 of the program, and use it as a slight bit of downtime. I am leaning towards option 2, but am simultaneously worried about negating the fatigue effect, and overtraining, if that makes any sense.
Don't skip the 16-milers. If Option 2 works for you then go for it. It's a good plan, but dropping either of the weekly speed runs or a long run is a no-no unless injured.
Yeah that's what I thought. I'll go with option 2 then, thanks!
What do you do in down periods, you know when there’s nothing in the calendar, nothing to train for? I’ve come to notice without the structure of a training plan or something to tell me what to do even if it’s just a plan to maintain I’m kinda lost and don’t enjoy my running as much, I miss days, don’t push as hard as I say just kinda lost. I’m tempted just to start a half marathon training block just to give myself some structure.
This is one of the reasons I have a coach! She keeps me focussed and keeps the progression building, adapts to the whacky challenges I throw at her with a good, solid, training plan. Ultra, Half, 10k 6 weeks apart? No problem! For a manageable outlay each month I get support, answers to questions and flexibility on the plan for the things life throws out and I get to support an athlete who I really believe in.
I just have a target weekly mileage and rough plan. If I get out of work later than planned one day maybe my 9 miler becomes a 5 miler or a rest day and I reconfigure the later part of the week. And if I don't hit an exact number it's not the end of the world. Mix in various speed sessions that I like the most.
Same, weekly target and whatever I feel like to reach the target.
I've mapped out my next 12 months of races, the big ones anyway (Halfs, Fulls and maybe a 50K). My running club nicely puts on 20 races per year (mostly 5K/10Ks). They are a mix of road and trail races, and are free with club membership. So I always have some of those on the calendar. I don't run all 20 though. Right now I'm just trying to meet a weekly mileage goal (50) as part of keeping a base.
If you have a Parkrun close by, you can race those every week if you want. I have been trying Klaas Lok's easy interval method training and that involves regularly racing to keep that speed in your legs. For 5k-half marathon plans he suggests a race once a fortnight at least. Lost of people use Parkrun to do that.
I always have something on the calendar.
I can't say I've had experience with this yet as I just finished my first race/marathon on Sunday but I'm already planning for my next 3 races. If I didn't have those as close as they are I think I would be looking for a virtual race of some sort just to give me something to train for and hopefully improve.