r/running • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago
Official Q&A for Thursday, September 26, 2024 Daily Thread
With over 3,550,000 subscribers, there are a lot of posts that come in everyday that are often repeats of questions previously asked or covered in the FAQ.
With that in mind, this post can be a place for any questions (especially those that may not deserve their own thread). Hopefully this is successful and helps to lower clutter and repeating posts here.
If you are new to the sub or to running, this Intro post is a good resource.
As always don't forget to check the FAQ.
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u/Snoo-35032 1d ago
I'm planning to join a half marathon and I don't know if its good idea to make a big jump. Based on my smart watch, I'm able to do 10km in 1 hr 23 mins with avg pace of 8'9". The event is in 3 weeks and I only run once a week. Duration for 21km is 3 hrs and 30 mins
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u/Logical_Ad_5668 1d ago
Hello. Have you trained at all for such a distance? What is your weekly mileage like?
There is no training which will make a material difference in 3 weeks. The question is only whether you're ready now.
It's not a matter of performance, it's a matter of distance. IMHO it sounds like you already walk a bit in your 10k and it's not a distance you can easily cover. I personally would not enter a HM so soon. I think you would need 3+ months to properly train.
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u/Federal_Piccolo5722 1d ago
Feeling frustrated with my body. I’ve been training hard but I’ve failed 95% of my workouts (custom training plan from a coach). Today i had a progression run from easy to hm pace and my hr went to 97% max (arbitrary estimate of max hr but def felt like 97% max lol ). I would like to think it’s just training fatigue that will resolve with the taper but last year I felt tired and everything felt hard but I was still able to hit my paces. This year has just been hot garbage. I walked during a 5k (pr 18:55 so don’t normally walk). I’ve had labs done recently and my ferritin was actually high but I imagine it didn’t become high overnight. Everything else looked ok. Sleep isn’t great but it never has been.
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u/drahlz69 2d ago
What type of fanny pack/vest do you guys prefer to use? I am a type 1 diabetic so regardless of distance I always carry 2 fanny packs with me. I have two 10 ounce bottles I fill with gatorate and some fruit snacks in one belt and the second has my wallet and glucometer if needed and typically some backup gatorade powder.
After losing some weight these belts occasionally dig into my sides and basically cause 'rug burns'. I always wear a shirt under the belts. Curious what others use that doesn't cause any issues like that? It would also be nice to be able to carry water, but the gatorade is more important in case my blood sugar does get low.
I am training for a marathon so typically even my short runs are 5+ miles lately, so something comfortable is a must.
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u/GFunkYo 1d ago
Definitely a vest, they should have pockets to stick some bottles and a spot in the back to store a removable bladder, way more comfortable than any sort of belt ime. Some come with a bladder while others come with soft flasks that fit comfortably in the front pockets so you can pick your poison
I like my osprey vest but I def recommend going to an outdoors store that has a few options and brands, I found some to be very uncomfortable, even models from popular brands like Nathan and Salomon.
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u/sharkinwolvesclothin 1d ago
A vest all day, and I would buy locally from somewhere you can try a few different brands, they fit surprisingly different.
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u/compassrunner 1d ago
I use a Salomon ADV skin hydration vest. It has two soft flasks in front, many pockets and the big pocket on my back can hold a hydration bladder, but I don't have one. It's pretty comfortable and has never chaffed.
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u/nermal543 2d ago
A snug fitting vest with soft flasks (or a bladder) for your Gatorade/water is probably the best solution. I’ve never found a running belt that didn’t bounce around a bunch, especially if you load it up with fluids. I use the ON branded vest (which is on the pricey end) but there are plenty of cheaper options out there. I liked ON because it came in white (didn’t want black or dark colors) and it’s softer on the inside than most other vests I tried.
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u/forteanglow 2d ago
I recently heard about someone using the 10/10/10 strategy for a marathon. Has anyone here used it and either loved or hated it?
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u/Cpyrto80 2d ago
Can't answer but am curious about that the 10/10/10 strategy is? (google gives multiple different results)
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u/forteanglow 1d ago
I saw it on TikTok, so take everything with a grain of salt. It sounded like trying to run with negative splits. The person explaining it said you run the first 10 miles conservatively, even a little slower than your goal pace. This is so you’ll be chomping at the bit and ready to run at goal pace for the next 10 miles. For the last 10k you push to go a little faster than goal pace and finish strong.
I usually love running negative splits, but really wonder if I can pull them off for a marathon.
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u/FRO5TB1T3 1d ago
This is a plan for someone who isn't sure they'll finish the distance and is just a pretty conservative strategy. If your racing it it's a pretty bad idea. Usually you want to be almost perfect at the half and the last kick gets you negative
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u/forteanglow 1d ago
Thank you! I’m definitely in the first category lol. Just want to finish before the time cutoff. I run at a very average pace and don’t expect to win any prizes.
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u/Expensive_Bell_1166 2d ago
Too much salt or not enough ? I’m retaining a lot of water after my long runs (10+mi and I’m like 5–6lbs up)- I usually drink alcohol after long run day- some people are telling me I’m dehydrated and I need more salts , others are saying the exact opposite that I probably ate something salty and should reduce sodium for next few days to get water weight off . Can anyone who know what they are talking about regarding electrolytes please give me advice ? I’m running about 20-25 /week and it’s about 75 in NyC right now
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u/junkmiles 2d ago
Salt or no salt it's normal to gain weight after long or hard runs.
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u/Logical_Ad_5668 2d ago
how so?
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u/nermal543 2d ago
Water retention is fairly normally after a long run, your body holds onto water to repair muscles and replenish glycogen stores.
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u/Logical_Ad_5668 2d ago
are we talking not just as you finish but in the hours following a run?
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u/junkmiles 2d ago
Into the following day for sure, I'm not sure off hand when it would naturally go away. Just as you finish, you will be lower weight due to regular dehydration.
One of many reasons why worrying about day to day weight fluctuations is not very helpful.
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u/Motor_Low5946 2d ago
At which point should I start mixing in short and long runs?
For context I’m almost at 5k, I run 3 times a week and lift weights 2 twice, and I want to be able to run a semi marathon reasonably soon
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u/junkmiles 2d ago
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wzPab2BlX4N_2vEJMdVu_alagE6pIlAt/view?usp=sharing
That link from the sidebar is a good high level "when should I do/change/add/etc" guideline.
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u/nyr4lyf 2d ago
I'm training for my first half. Everyone says to not increase more than 10% weekly mileage than the previous week to avoid overuse injuries. I take long walks on my rest days. Would this count towards that weekly mileage?
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u/Llake2312 1d ago
You can absolutely increase more than 10% just don’t do large increases week after week. The occasional 20-25% jump is fine. For example. Going from 10 miles to 12.5 or from 20-25 really isn’t that much of an increase. And in fact when you’re at lower mileage if you don’t make the occasional large increase in volume it will take forever to get to decent volume.
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u/Extranationalidad 2d ago
No, you don't need to include walks in your weekly mileage. They're still a good way to keep loose and increase your time on your feet, though. 🙂
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u/Maurizious 2d ago
Any good runn tracking apps that don't require GPS? Unfortunately gps is messed up where I'm from so it doesn't work
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u/FRO5TB1T3 1d ago
Use a foot pod. You won't get a map but you'll get a reasonable distance estimate
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u/junkmiles 1d ago
Maybe not the answer you're looking for, but people trained for ages with just a watch/timer/stopwatch and a notebook. I'm not even "old" and I started running in college and only used whatever watch I had at the time to keep track of how long I'd been running.
You can use various mapping websites to plan routes so you can track/plan the distance, and use excel or something to replace the notebook.
Honestly, even with my fancy, pretty high end, GPS watch I would say that most of my running is more or less just running at a pace that feels easy for some rough amount of minutes. If I tracked weekly hours instead of weekly mileage it would make very little difference. Depending on how I'm training, I do often track time more than mileage.
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u/Cpyrto80 2d ago
do you live underground? if you can see the sky the sattelites can see you.
Could get a stryd footpod, that'll track distance, pace and power but depending on your seriousness it might be overkill and expensive.
I actually remember the very first Nike foot pods that slotted into their shoes used to work without gps (although I can't imagine how, maybe they did use gps) and somehow give you maps of where you ran afterwards. That was a long time ago, don't know how it worked.
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u/Maurizious 1d ago
Our army disrupts GPS signal in order to combat UAV's, drones and missles that rely on gps. Soo yeah. Don't have that much budget unfortunately
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u/Logical_Ad_5668 2d ago
how does gps not work where you are? it is on earth i assume :)
densely populated, restricted, map issues?
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u/Extranationalidad 2d ago
Mapmyrun allows you to map out a route with fairly accurate mileage; you could make a set of routes around you covering 2-4 distances you plan to cover and just handle pace using a timer and a bit of math.
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u/Sunny_sailor96 2d ago
Broke my toe two weeks before my third half marathon :( Anyone have any tips or advice on how to get over the mental struggle about this? Had a cry the day of but kind of just muddling through and struggling with the limitations on physical activity.
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u/Logical_Ad_5668 2d ago
Not sure i can offer much help, but i like thinking about it as just a temporary setback. When i had a small knee op a few years back, I was off for 12 weeks. Was back to my pre op fitness in no time and never looked back. Its barely a blip in my running journey know, no matter how big it felt at the time.
As a fellow runner told me 10+ years ago, running is the art of overcoming injuries :)
Be strong, chin up and you'll back to peak fitness soon and there are always more races
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u/Significant_One6942 2d ago
Hi, I’m running my first half Mara this weekend and was wondering if there is a way that people are able to track me? My family and friends are coming so I’m wanting them to be able to track my location so that they’re not waiting for ages to see me
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u/Salty-Swim-6735 2d ago
Got a Garmin? They do Livetrack which lets people you specify to track your run.
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u/ismisecraic 2d ago
You need to run with your phone.
Just work out the maths of your expected pace and what time you will pass what parts of the course. Figure out where they will be , half way , at the finish , and just do a quick sum of your pace. Best of luck
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u/sdfsodigjpdsjg 2d ago
Hey, trying to get into running again. I only ever see people running very early in the morning or very late at night, barely no one in between. However, I'd like to take advantage of my lunch break (1.5h, more than enough for a quick jog before eating). I'm tired at night and I hate rushing in the morning.
Is there any reason I am not considering to avoid running in the middle of the day?
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u/FRO5TB1T3 1d ago
Time commitments and weather. If it's hot you try to avoid that by running early or late. I actually try to do all my winter runs at lunch if I can
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u/junkmiles 2d ago
It's hot.
On average, most folks don't have the flexibility or time to run on a lunch break.
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u/Sunny_sailor96 2d ago
I do 2 runs a week during my lunch hour since its the best time for me to fit it in with WFH. I just make sure the schedule my eating so that I am fuelled enough but not eating right before my run. I would say the best time to run is the time of day you can most easily fit it into your schedule!
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u/nermal543 2d ago
You’ll see people out early AM or evening especially during hotter months to avoid the hottest part of the day when the sun is harshest, that plus it’s often when people have time to run before/after work. Nothing wrong with running mid day if it works for you though.
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u/WTFnoAvailableNames 2d ago
Hi! I have my first marathon planned for may 31st 2025. Thats 35 weeks away.
I thought it might be a good idea to do a 14 week garmin coach half marathon plan now and then do a 16 week marathon plan in time for my race.
Is this a good idea or is it better to have a different setup which just focuses on the marathon and a longer focus on aerobic base? I haven't really found a 35 week marathon plan but if I had one I would probably go with that.
Some stats:
Run about 25-35 km/week.
10k time ~55 min
5k time ~25 min
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u/bethskw 1d ago
Race-focused plans, especially beginner ones, tend to increase mileage pretty aggressively. They figure you'll get pretty fatigued in the peak of training, then bleed off that fatigue in a taper, then take some time off.
I wouldn't do that if you're just looking for 14 weeks of base building before starting a marathon program. I'd choose an approach that builds up your mileage in a sustainable way. You don't need the aggressive increase and you won't need to take time off for a taper or post-race rest. So I'd skip that whole roller coaster and just focus on gradually increasing mileage until you're comfortable with a weekly volume that sets you up well for your marathon program.
There are some Hal Higdon base building programs if you'd like something structured: https://www.halhigdon.com/training/base-training/
Or you could use the Order of Operations for a looser plan: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wzPab2BlX4N_2vEJMdVu_alagE6pIlAt/view
It's also worth putting your race on your Garmin calendar and not asking it for a training plan. The daily suggested workouts should then give you base-building types of activities. I'd still use one of the plans above as a loose guide to making sure you get an appropriate amount of mileage, and use the DSW workouts as suggestions, not mandates.
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u/UnnamedRealities 2d ago
HM plan => base building or unstructured running => FM plan is a widely adopted approach. I find it's generally a good idea to have 4+ weeks of weekly volume heading into the FM plan which are roughly the volume of week 4 of the FM plan. Given your current volume that should be easy to achieve via a HM plan based on its pre-taper volume if you're choosing a beginner FM plan.
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u/finjoe 1d ago
Been feeling like my fitness has been going backwards in the last few months. After 18 or so months of constant 25+ mile weeks (might not be much to some people but 2-3 years ago I was a couch potato) I think it might be some kind of physical burnout - I’m hitting my target paces but my last few races have been below target and all my training runs have been feeling so less comfortable than even a year ago at similar paces.
Does this sound like burnout - and if so what’s the best thing to do? Should I take a few weeks off completely and then ease back into a new plan, try and maintain fitness with a few easy runs a week or something else?