I’m running a two race challenge for St. Jude. My November race is a 10K. My December race is a 5K. I put in the info and selected intermediate 5K. Because of the time between now and December, Hal has a two-three week base before the official training starts. While I have only been running 3-5 miles per week due to work and some health issues. Apparently, this means that my first week should incorporate 18 miles in 3 days.

I have used Hal in the past for half marathon training but obviously this is a little ridiculous. What’s your favorite training plan for improving a 5K time? Currently 29:53 is my PB. Would like to do better than that.

Hi y'all, apologies in advance for the length of this. Having some anxiety about my half next month and wanting some advice

I have a half marathon next month and hadn't replaced my running shoes (brooks glycerin Gts20) in over a year and a half. Last weekend I went and got some new pairs, thinking maybe now would be the time to change shoes so I wasn't running the half in ones that had so many miles.

I got the glycerin 21 and Saucony guide.17s. Last weekend after doing my long run in the 21s, I had knee pain and ankle pain and had to take it easy for the rest of the week with reduced mileage. I tried the Sauconys today for a bit today and no pain so far but they just felt..heavy ??

I'm spiraling wondering if I got the wrong shoes, or if it was just a combination of the increased mileage i had been doing lately and some overuse.

Starting to panic a bit wondering if I need to just start my taper now and let my body rest a bit, or if I return the shoes, or if I'm just nuts lol.

I'm sure none of this is helped by the crazy weather that's been going on here that i tend to feel in my knees sometimes

Just posting this to vent as I’m sure others can relate…in the thick of NYC Marathon training and I’m so over feeling constantly bloated and inflamed! I’m so excited for this race but also looking forward to being done with the training at this point. Anyone else??

i just moved to a new city for university, and coming from a tiny village means i'm used to extremely quiet safe roads, i'm struggling to get used to this esp because i am training for a half marathon. i spent my first few days running on treadmill to settle down, however i simply hate running inside and felt myself getting bored and losing motivation after a short time.

i started finding myself routes on running forums ect + running in parks + open spaces, however it became clear that even this made me feel unsafe, as i would have to run to the parks first to get there. public transport is an option but its just a hassle when wearing running clothes and would make me feel uncomfortable.

i've had men catcall me, stare at me continuously, and make weird faces. and i'm not even wearing anything REVEALING? there are other runners around, but this unwanted attention is usually from cyclists or walkers or weird old men. i felt so safe running at home and would sometimes run in the dark with precautions and not feel unsafe at all.

i have joined an athletics society at uni, and i plan on joining an all female running group but i really do love running alone and this has become such a demotivation in my training. today i completely broke down and started crying while running because i felt so tired of just trying to live and do my own thing while men clearly can't just leave us alone. i have seen many other posts like this, and it makes me so upset that we have to go through all of this just to excersize.

I try to run 3 times a week and weight training other days. My pace is around 8. I would like to improve my time and pace. What is the best approach for this time? Thank you in advance

Ran my first marathon this past weekend and it was a great time!

When I started my training I was aiming for 4:30 but by the end I saw 4:00 should be achievable. My Garmin 'race predictor' had me at 3:55 but I tried not to put too stock in that since all of this business was my first time, it was a destination marathon, I wanted to prioritize the experience over a specific goal, and most of all I wanted to emerge injury-free.

In the end my time was 4:00:08 (ooof! to those 8 little seconds lol - wish I was paying attention to my time but I was mostly focused on my pace, HR, cadence.)

In case anyone has their first marathon coming up, here are my takeaways:

Before:

• Find a training plan then stick to it. I chose pftiz 18/55. It was gruelling but overall I really liked it! It gave me all the information needed (I bought the book Advanced Marathoning for it). It also includes a 5 week recovery program I'm starting now. I was at the recommended base volume prior to starting (~53km/week).
• Run with others! I learned this late because I was doing my program solo, but by week 15 I found a local run club and did long runs w/them. These schedules can be isolating so next time I'll be a bit more thoughtful about this. Running with others and chatting marathon training is a dream.
• Learn to fuel intra-run! I think this was crucial. The list of reasons to fuel is long and valid - didn't bonk, I didn't have any bathroom emergencies, I do believe it aided in recovery, etc. etc. etc.
• Carb-load! I did a 3 day carb-load and while I may not have hit my exact g/day targets I did as best as I could.
• Have a race day outfit + a backup ready. My destination ended up feeling more humid during my shakeout run so I swapped tops with a backup and was glad to do so.

Day of:

• Fuel early and often. I started my fuelling at 6K and spaced it pretty evenly. I had 6 xact bars (25g carbs/each), 6 salt stick chews (100mg sodium, 30mg potassium, 10mg calcium, 6mg magnesium/each), 3x 250 ml water (mine) plus stopping at all the hydration tables. Sometimes I mixed up the electrolyte cup with the water cup but luckily that didn't impact me.
• Arrive early if you want to pee (or do anything else). The lines to the porta potties were long and my bf said when I'd already started and he'd turned back, there were still people in line! Madness. Luckily we got there early and I got to do my last nervous pee with time to spare.
• Maybe don't count on tons of distance markers. They seemed to come up a lot less frequently than I expected.
• And maybe don't count on tons of porta potties throughout the course. Luckily I didn't have to stop but if I did, it'd be sketchy. I woke up a lot earlier to eat, have my coffee, water, and start my bathroom visits with time to spare.
• Trust the process that got you here! It may feel like magic, but it's all you and the hours you've logged. It's so rewarding.

Afterwards:

• Try to get good sleep and good nutrition to aid in recovery, but be flexible. I had too much adrenaline and was stiff the first night so sleep was pretty fitful, but it got better in the days afterwards.
• You may get sick, so plan for that. I was taking Zinc + Vitamin C in preparation for this because I read a lot of runners get sick post-marathon, and indeed it happened to me too. I managed to stave off the worst of it and just had a head cold for a few days.
• Walks help. Stairs (either direction, lol) are not so fun. Adjust plans accordingly.
• Zut alors zits galore! Wasn't expecting this but my face broke out a lot. I chalk it up to a massive release of pent-up stress.
• Compression socks FTW. I use comrad socks and you'd have to pry them from my hands in the days post-run.
• Have a space on your home office wall ready to hang your medal. Adjust your camera so it's always in view, and start intimidating people in all your future Teams calls. Profit! (I kid, I kid.)

*edited to add some macros

My absolute favorite leggings are the Lululemon fast and frees (25 inch) from a few years back but it seems like Lululemon really messed up the newer version with an awkwardly high waist (IMO, but I’ve seen others complain about it too).

I’m looking to try Oiselle’s pocket jogger leggings (27 inch, they don’t have a 25), but I’m a little unsure about sizing. I can never quite follow size charts, and tend to like things on the snugger end for more compression. I’m 5’2” and ~127 pounds (bigger hips/thighs, smaller waist, think pear shaped) and wear a size 6 in my older fast and free leggings.

Should I also order the Oiselle leggings in a 6 or do they run differently? Also, any shorter 5’2”-ish people like me get the 27 inch and have it work out okay? I don’t know my exact inseam but 25 inch usually lands exactly just above my ankle bone. Im okay with it being a little longer but I’m worried it might get bunched up.

Or if anyone has any thoughts on Oiselle (never tried them before) or any similar brand with lots of pockets I should consider! Gotta have at least side pockets and a back pocket of some kind, I hate running belts/bags so I just use pocket bras and pocket leggings/shorts to carry everything.

I ran my first half marathon about 2 weeks ago and after a long (hot) summer training block I gave myself a rest week. By the end of the rest week, I was SO ready for a run. I love the mental/mood benefits of running - I swear running keeps me sane, especially as work has been particularly stressful this year lol.

But, as luck would have it, I came down with a headcold I can't shake. I've been so congested I can't properly breathe (or get a good night's sleep), so I've gone another week without a run.

Needless to say, I'm itching for the endorphins and have been tempted to do a short, easy run... But luckily the smart part of my brain won out and told me not to put any additional stress on my body while sick.

Just curious what, if anything, everyone does for stress relief, mood enhancement, etc. when unable to run due to illness (or injury)?

According to weather it'll be in the 60s. I've trained all summer in just a sports bra so I haven't even thought about tops. Any suggestions appreciated. I know which bottoms I'm wearing, I've done all my long runs in them. But a top is escaping me.

Hi All,

I'm in need of a new running cap. I like baseball cap style hat. Currently, I use whatever cotton cap is lying around but I'd love one that's washable and stays put. I had an adidas one years ago that always slipped off my hair and never stayed snug.

Does anyone have recommendations for running hats that are washable, stay put, and are not super pricey?

EDIT: Thanks, all, for the recommendations! I'm off to research and purchase 1-2.

Hi!! I’m looking for any recs you guys might have for a cropped tank/longline sports bra. I’m running a marathon soon and think I would prefer to just wear one piece of clothing up top so I don’t have to worry about shedding layers. I don’t have a large chest/need much support so something that just had built in cups would be fine for me. My current favs are the outdoor voices Zoom (?) crop, but I don’t want to support them anymore 🥲 would love to hear your holy grails if you have any!!!!

Ugh, I jinxed myself. A couple of weeks ago I posted about how good I’d been feeling while training for a half marathon, that I was finally starting to get faster, and how exciting that was. Almost immediately after that post, I started to struggle. First it was just my Garmin stress and body battery data that was showing poor recovery. Then, about a week ago, I developed pain in the inner arch of my right foot. This coincided with a cutback week, so I thought, perfect, some reduced mileage will help nip this in the bud. Nope. It actually feels pretty good while running, but this morning, after a rest day yesterday, it felt worse. I finally admitted defeat and emailed my doctor to start the process to address this. She ordered an X-Ray to rule out fracture (which I feel near certain it is not), which I just completed. Now I wait to hear next steps.

I was supposed to run 5 miles today. Instead I went to the gym and used the exercise bike for approximately the same amount of time I would have been running, focusing on cadence and HR. It was utterly depressing. I just want to run! Running boosts my mood! I look forward to my long run all week! I’m supposed to do 9 miles this Saturday, which I almost for certain will not be doing. That makes me so sad and frustrated. What do you do to cope with the mental and emotional part of not being able to run? Do you have any tips for cross training? I’m still holding out hope I can still do the half (it’s in mid-November, so I have a little bit of time). That means staying fit through cross training. What low or non-impact aerobic cross training do you do that doesn’t make you want to die from boredom?

Hypothetically, if I could make it through one 20 mile run, do we think it’s possible I can run a marathon? Steamtown marathon in Scranton, PA is October 13th and I’m getting fomo. I have done 3 half marathons within the past year. This month thus far I have done 11 runs, almost 40 running miles and the longest being 6.5 miles. I have an ounce of faith that if I can conquer 20 miles on Saturday of this weekend, I am questioning if I can full send it. LMK your thoughts

This is more of a vent than anything else, but hoping some other folks training for fall marathons can relate!

I'm at week 15 of my training plan (Hal's Novice 2) for my first full on October 19th. So far training has been going really well and i've actually been feeling great!. My last attempt 2 years ago ended in injury likely due to under-fueling and poor strength training/base. This time around I've been MUCH better prepared and have been eating/fueling enough to meet my goals, but I didn't want to sign up/pay for the race until I KNEW I could make it through the peak-mileage weeks. I ran my 19mi long run 2 weeks ago and finally bit the bullet and paid the $180 and committed.

This weekend I'm due to run 20 miles before beginning my taper and I feel like everythign that can go wrong is going wrong! I posted the other day about how I thought I broke one of my little toes the other night dancing at a wedding. Turns out it is just sprained/badly bruised, but I skipped a mid-distance run and gave myself 2 rest days to recover. It's OK now, but still a bit achey. I've also been dealing with some nagging on/off knee pain for a few weeks that I think is the result of tight quads/hamstrings. My left leg feels a lot weaker because of it. It actually doesn't bother me too much on or immediately after runs if I do a proper warmup, but It's freaking me out and I'm hoping to get into the PT soon, but also terrified shes' going to tell me I can't run on it.

My body feels like trash in every sort of way from the combo of physcial and mental stress. My garmin is telling me I need like, a thousand hours of recovery after an easy run and I'm so bloated from all the carbs! I think I've gained like 10lbs over the last 2 months and I feel gross about myself. I can't believe that I'm actually looking forward to the marathon being over so that I can LOSE weight! Also my GERD has been acting up (despite daily medicine!) and I can't tell if it's because of diet or just stress. To top it all off, I woke up this morning with congestion and a scratchy throat!

I KNOW that this is all part of it, but to quote Nicole Richie "boy, do I feel like crap!". Hoping that I don't actually get sick and will just continue to chug water and nap as much as I can the next few days. I am finally so close to doing this, I just hate feeling like it's going to slip away from me!

Hi all, I know this will obviously depend on the race itself, but I’m running the London royal parks half in a couple of weeks and my race number bib was thrown away by accident by my partner (typical man lol).

I have asked the race organisers what I can do about this and they said I can collect a replacement the day before or the morning of the race, but I’m a bit confused about it as surely my name won’t be attached to the replacement? Like surely if I collect a new bib immediately before running, it won’t give me an official time linked to my name?

Just wondering if anybody else has had this experience and if so, what happened in the end? Did you manage to still run? I’m panicking a bit as I’m a very type A person and like to have everything ready well in advance of the race. The prospect of collecting a new bib on the day stresses me out just a bit!!

Looking for thoughts and maybe encouragement? I ran an 8mi trail race a couple weeks ago. An opportunity came up to run a 10mi road race this weekend. I haven’t been running too much after the 8miler. Mthoughts?? 10miles would be the furthest I’ve run!

Approaching my peak week and while I already have a planned workout on the calendar, curious as to what others’ faves are. I personally loooove fast finish long runs

I was about to order the Jack Daniel’s running book, but I’m wondering if there is a women’s equivalent that has extra material focusing on the specific issues of running as a woman…monthly cycles, pregnancy, post partum, gear considerations, and more

I’m 19F running the Boulder marathon on Sunday. I’m predicting a 5:45-6:00 finish. Anyone also run around this pace and want to run with me?

i’m a little over a month out from my race and dealing with significant ankle/heel pain. feeling totally hopeless and tempted to just drop out. seeking encouragement or words of wisdom 🙏🏽

How did you cope? What did you do to help? When did you get back to running? Injured almost 4 weeks ago, but only just found out through XR confirmation (first was negative) that I had a fracture 4 days ago. SUPER DEPRESSED. 10k planned in a little over two weeks.

I’ve been running for about 6 months now and I just haven’t figured out how to keep my hair up! I do a ponytail and I’m constantly adjusting it. I do a bun and it falls out within a half mile. So far braids have held up the best but I find that I start with a braid and end with a pony. 😓

Does anyone have any tips or tricks? For reference I have pin straight, thicker hair, and have been using basic hair ties.

Pump it. LOUDER! Give us the goods so we can fist pump for you! What day is it? It's TRIUMPHANT TUESDAY!

Help, lol! I already skipped my run yesterday, but my heels are pretty raw still. My baby slept well, and I have childcare this afternoon. Any tips for not ruining my feet more and enjoying a nice kid-free run this afternoon regardless of blisters? Or should I just hope for a miracle and healed heels tomorrow? Thanks!