Random Running Questions

Lazare

skyblue46 wrote: »

It is a good question though. How much benefit do you think it can be. Someone can only run at the pace you suggest is realistic. A Pacer setting off at 18 min pace would be no help to you. A watch can show you if you are on target. Is it purely for the vocal support?

Well I certainly would get no benefit from an 18 min pacer.

Vocal support yeah, but just running to someone else's pace makes things a lot easier. You definitely won me at least 25 seconds.

skyblue46

Lazare wrote: »

Well I certainly would get no benefit from an 18 min pacer.

Vocal support yeah, but just running to someone else's pace makes things a lot easier. You definitely won me at least 25 seconds.

When I was trying for sub 20 last year I found the benefit of running in good quality races. To be surrounded by good steady runners at crunch time really gives you target runners to maintain focus. In the Bob Heffernan I think there were approx 160 runners sub 20.

ReeReeG

skyblue46 wrote:

Agreed. What would you reckon? It's worth 20/30 secs? I'd have no idea myself

If you're prone to extreme self-doubt, it's worth a hell of a lot. I only got my own parkrun PB with the help of a clubmate pacing me and talking me into keeping up / upping the effort for the last km, which I was well able for, as it turned out.

Lazare

skyblue46 wrote: »

When I was trying for sub 20 last year I found the benefit of running in good quality races. To be surrounded by good steady runners at crunch time really gives you target runners to maintain focus. In the Bob Heffernan I think there were approx 160 runners sub 20.

Yeah, good point that I hadn't thought of.

Swashbuckler

skyblue46 wrote:

Agreed. What would you reckon? It's worth 20/30 secs? I'd have no idea myself

Haha. It's hard to say but I think it's fair to say that the farther you move from 19 to 18 to 17 and downwards you'll benefit less.

Lazare wrote:

Yeah, good point that I hadn't thought of.

If you want to run a pb find a stacked race. It's a no brainer. Much harder to run a pb if you're running solo.

Itziger

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Haha. It's hard to say but I think it's fair to say that the farther you move from 19 to 18 to 17 and downwards you'll benefit less.



If you want to run a pb find a stacked race. It's a no brainer. Much harder to run a pb if you're running solo.

And yet, I ran my Half PB with about 15 of the 21k completely isolated. We're talking 200 metres to the trio ahead of me!!!

A recent 10k with 8,000+ people and loads faster than me couldn't drag me anywhere near a PB. Decent training trumps everything and always will. I understand that some people are less experienced at this game but I believe all things taken into account, the best way to find out what you can do is to train as well (hard/smart) as possible and to test yourself in a few races. At shorter distances like 5k sure there's no harm giving it a lash and seeing how it goes. If you blow up you can go back for another bite a week or two later.

Maybe not so good for 42k.

Swashbuckler

Itziger wrote:

And yet, I ran my Half PB with about 15 of the 21k completely isolated. We're talking 200 metres to the trio ahead of me!!!

Itziger wrote:

A recent 10k with 8,000+ people and loads faster than me couldn't drag me anywhere near a PB.

I don't disagree with your point but when was that HM PB and when was that 10k attempt? If you're not in shape, all the pacers in the world won't help.

skyblue46

Swashbuckler wrote: »

I don't disagree with your point but when was that HM PB and when was that 10k attempt? If you're not in shape, all the pacers in the world won't help.

It is an interesting point. That group 200m ahead may have been a target? I know that in my limited time running I have done better runs with something to motivate me ahead. My first sub 20 had Damo ahead in the distance, my 10k PB had scotindublin as a reference and in my 2 attempts at DCM I had the 4 hour and 3:20 pacers in sight for large parts of the second half of the race.

MY BAD

I'd say in a 10k race of 8000 the quality would get very diluted. Thats quite a big race. It's not so much the numbers although it helps. Its the percentage of quality runners that count. A lot of the big money races they seem to attract more fun runners in general, not necessarily a big number of quality runners unless its a national race. Get up the front anyways and hold on.

On the 400 repeats at 5k effort. You can jog/walk/or stand on the recovery. As long as you are getting the quality work done and your repeats are consistent. To jog the recovery would help with strength and probably more long term beneficial, but it will depend how close the workout is the race. Saying that you can't just pick one workout out and say how should I do it without looking at the medium term plan and what your targeting.

Swashbuckler

skyblue46 wrote:

It is an interesting point. That group 200m ahead may have been a target? I know that in my limited time running I have done better runs with something to motivate me ahead. My first sub 20 had Damo ahead in the distance, my 10k PB had scotindublin as a reference and in my 2 attempts at DCM I had the 4 hour and 3:20 pacers in sight for large parts of the second half of the race.

I'm the same. My best runs from 2018 - Ennis - ran against/with a Limerick AC lad. Charleville - ran with sub 80 pace group. I've always run better with some target whether that be chasing people or trying to stay ahead of people. Running in isolation is very tough

Lazare

Swashbuckler wrote: »

I'm the same. My best runs from 2018 - Ennis - ran against/with a Limerick AC lad. Charleville - ran with sub 80 pace group. I've always run better with some target whether that be chasing people or trying to stay ahead of people. Running in isolation is very tough

My most recent pb, parkrun last week, I had Jim Aughney as a target for the first 2 miles. Spent mile 3 trying to impress him. :pac:

skyblue46

Lazare wrote: »

My most recent pb, parkrun last week, I had Jim Aughney as a target for the first 2 miles. Spent mile 3 trying to impress him. :pac:

What did you do in mile 3? Serenade him? One arm press ups? Or had you a more subtle way of impressing him?

Ted_YNWA

skyblue46 wrote: »

What did you do in mile 3? Serenade him? One arm press ups? Or had you a more subtle way of impressing him?

Twerking in front of him?

Swashbuckler

Ass smack?

Lazare

Pulled the shorts ever so slightly down.

Lazare

Seriously though, it motivated me to keep good form. I knew he couldn't give a bollix, but I pretended he did and it worked.

skyblue46

Lazare wrote: »

Pulled the shorts ever so slightly down.

His or yours?

Ted_YNWA

Lazare wrote: »

Seriously though, it motivated me to keep good form. I knew he couldn't give a bollix, but I pretended he did and it worked.

Just like I/you would have a target person to catch or stick with, there is someone else after putting a target on our own backs unknown to us.

Lazare

skyblue46 wrote: »

His or yours?

I've come to a cul de sac in this particular rabbit hole.

Lazare

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

Just like I/you would have a target person to catch or stick with, there is someone else after putting a target on our own backs unknown to us.

True. You sometimes find out though, have had a few post parkrun chats with them.

Zipppy

Are ye always hungry? I'm running 5 days a week..mix of short, long and intervals thanks to previous advice given on here..and I'm starving all the time.. once I've eaten I start thinking bout more food

Zipppy

Are ye always hungry? I'm running 5 days a week..mix of short, long and intervals thanks to previous advice given on here..and I'm starving all the time.. once I've eaten I start thinking bout more food

Tigerandahalf

Zipppy wrote: »

Are ye always hungry? I'm running 5 days a week..mix of short, long and intervals thanks to previous advice given on here..and I'm starving all the time.. once I've eaten I start thinking bout more food

No problem being hungry once you eat good food. Snack on fruit, nuts and drink plenty of water. To keep the calories down try not to eat after 9pm.

Itziger

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

No problem being hungry once you eat good food. Snack on fruit, nuts and drink plenty of water. To keep the calories down try not to eat after 9pm.

I'm often in bed by then so that one is easy. A related question, After hard sessions and/or long runs do you find that meals taste blander than normal and lacking salt. I think it's the body playing tricks and trying to get me to consume more salt so I ask someone to taste the food. They usually say, it's fine!

Tigerandahalf

Never experienced that but lately I always take a combined salt/vit c/iron tablet (one of those SIS supplements) after every hard session - intervals, tempo or long run. I have found my recovery has increased.

I would sweat a lot so I probably do lose a good bit of salt.

TheJak01

You body is liable to do that. I find after any reasonably tough bout of exercise where I've expended a decent amount of energy my brain dislikes anything healthy. The craving is always for a dominos, as it's salty and chocked full of carbs and calories. Always find it a little strange as I can't stand the stuff in other situations (probably a flashback to my days of cramming for exams), but the body knows what it wants. When I do manage to resist the temptation of the takeaway, any meal I cook usually tastes bland as anything. Few thousand years of survival instinct telling you to do the wrong thing, unfortunately.

Jay D

I am looking into getting a pair of Asics Kayano 25s. The price seems to vary a lot between different colour schemes. Is it just the colour that's costing up to €50 price increase in some cases, or am I missing something? Surely the blue Asics Kayano 25s are the same as the black Asics Kayano 25s?

skyblue46

Jay D wrote: »

I am looking into getting a pair of Asics Kayano 25s. The price seems to vary a lot between different colour schemes. Is it just the colour that's costing up to €50 price increase in some cases, or am I missing something? Surely the blue Asics Kayano 25s are the same as the black Asics Kayano 25s?

Exactly the same shoe. Just selling off the least popular colour.

Jay D

I can't believe people would pay such a higher price. Really don't get that! Thanks for the info.

Dudda

Are people still running in cold weather? Only started running myself 3 months ago about three times a week. I didn’t the last two days and probably won’t this evening as the footpaths are slippery and have areas of black ice.