Random Running Questions

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363278#Comment_119363278

Well mine are certainly giving me a lot of praise and hope I guess 😂

garmin Fenix 6 pro

lets just say, that on my very very very best day and with many weeks prep, o might get close, but I doubt I can hit those numbers.

well not yet anyway, but there is always hope 🥳

Omega28

I've been running for over a year now without any plan, doing the same 5-7km routes and as expected I haven't seen much improvement in my running.

I want to take things a bit more seriously now though. I will use the 10% rule regarding mileage every week. I'm currently running around 40km a week. My pace is around 7.20km per min and it hasn't really improved much in the year or so I've been running

I'm thinking of doing the following runs based on what I know :

Monday : 6km (easy)

Tuesday : 10 x 400m with 1:30 rest ( I find these sessions really difficult and might be too much for me but I get them done)

Wednesday : Off

Thursday : 8km

Friday : 5-6km

Saturday : 5-7km

Sunday : 5-7km

I've never used a running plan before so if anyone can point me in the direction of a good running plan would be great.

ariana`

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119392684#Comment_119392684

10 x 400 is a big session. I would do 2 things, start smaller and go off time rather than distance, so for example start with 6 * 1min and progress it every week so you are eventually running 10-12' of effort in your Session. The weeks might be 8 * 1', 10 * 1', 2 * 2' + 4 * 1', 4 * 2', 4 * 2' + 2 * 1', 6 * 2' etc. And for now have equal time recovery - so 1min reps have 1min recover and 2' reps have 2' recovery.

The advantage of working to time rather than distance is that you will be less inclined to run your runs too fast just to hit a distance target, if your specified run is 30' then it doesn't matter if you cover 4k or 5k, whereas if you are targeting 5k you will be more inclined to run it to fast so that you are finished sooner (this is my experience anyways!).

Another change I'd make it probably look at doing a longer easy run on one weekend day.

Maybe add a little bit of tempo in your Thursday run - you could break this down to start with eg. 2 * 6' @ tempo pace? And build up to doing a straight 15-20mins tempo run eventually. Tempo pace being a pace that is comfortably hard, think a strong but controlled effort. It's hard to talk about paces without knowing what 7:20min/km is to you - this could be your tempo pace if you are currently running all your runs too hard which is a common enough beginner mistake.

Monday - easy 30mins

Tues - Interval session

Wed - rest

Thurs - Tempo

Fri - easy 30mins

Sat - Long run (start at 40min and try to build this up gradually over the weeks until you can run for 75mins).

Sun - rest or 20' very easy

After all that I'm sure Dr. Google could deliver you a much better plan if you were to search for beginner 5k or 10k plans 😉

Omega28

Thanks for the advice Ariana.

Tbh, Dr. Google is a bit head wrecking and I find it overwhelming with the amount of information on it so I just get frustrated and do my own thing.

Yes, I think I'll take your advice here and go off time instead of distance. I'll also add in a longer run (perhaps start at 45 mins like you suggested) and build from there.

7.20km/min would be comfortable for me but I'd say 5:30-6:20 min/km and I would feel it. My 5km PB is 22:17, if that's of any use.

As a beginner I find it hard to know what exactly an 'easy' and 'hard' runs are. I think my 'easy' runs are too hard and my hard runs are agony .

ariana`

Is your 5km Pb reasonably recent? If you have a recent PB you could use it to generate approximate training paces, there are lots of different calculators, Jack Daniels Training Pace Calc is popular. Another one I use is The Running Calculator (runfastcoach.com)

The latter one suggests (for 22:17 5k time)

Very Easy - 6:33-7:02

Easy - 6:17-6:31

Tempo - 4:59 - 5:06

CV (Interval) - 4:32 - 4:38

If your PB is out of date maybe you could run a local parkrun to find out where you are currently and generate more realistic paces.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119388872#Comment_119388872

We would be of different abilities but that would still work, good idea.

It's gas, I would be over 4 mins quicker than him in an all out 5k but he runs faster than me on average.

winstonia

What's the best way of getting water into myself during a run? I don't like carrying anything. Usually feeling thirsty after 8 miles but am currently up to a 10 mile lsr. Should probably be drinking sooner, I dunno.

Butterbeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119407414#Comment_119407414

If you did a looped course you could have a designated spot to pick up a drink. A friend of mine used to have water bottles stashed along the course he would run when marathon training. Being well hydrated before a run can go a long way to negating having to take water on during a long run also. Other factors will play into that too of course, like weather and how long it takes you to complete the distance.

Back when I was doing longer distances, I generally didn't take on any liquids for anything under 13 miles, but I built up to that.

There are camel pouches you can get and maybe someone who uses them can advise you on it, but they always seem like unnecessary baggage to me.

You could also bring money/card with you and pick up a drink along the way if possible

If possible you could do a loop that goes past your house and use that as an opportunity to grab a drink or as the poster above has mentioned on your route, stop off at a shop or two.

winstonia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119407636#Comment_119407636

I'm probably not that far off it atm. Can do 10 miles at easy pace(8min) but it's a bit warm lately that has me thinking I should take some water. Not really arsed getting into marathon training again. I did used to leave my bottle around the park but 2 of them got stolen.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119418716#Comment_119418716

And yet you are posting in Marathon novice thread. 🤔 Carry water or buy/stash end route. Or pray for rain! 😁

winstonia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119420855#Comment_119420855

Who says I completed the marathon?

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119422728#Comment_119422728

I meant 'not really arsed getting into marathon training' does not compute with planning to run a marathon. Good luck with it!

winstonia

More of a random post but this is mad. If Father Ted set up a 10k

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-62442123?s=08

robinph

I'm a bit conflicted about the whole deferral, virtual, refunds thing.

For most events I'd write off the entry fee once I'd signed up, certainly wouldn't expect refund or deferral from the vast majority of races I do where the fee per race is usually way less than a tenner.

The likes of London Marathon, which has got more expensive over the last few years, you would never have got entry fees back before and the covid year was an oddity where they gave people places in subsequent events I think.

Some big more expensive events where you might pay a hundred or so I'd expect at least some money back if they cancelled, or a discount for a future entry. All big events should have insurance to cover things like cancellation now since the last couple of years.

An event the size of Cardiff 10km should have coverage for this kind of thing, it's not some little club run. But it's still a bit much for people to expect everyone to get their full entry fee back, even if it is just £28.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119439347#Comment_119439347

So if you spent £28 on let’s say a ticket to a gig in the Point and it got cancelled you think you shouldn’t be entitled to your money back?

this company have not closed down or anything. They are still operating.

really bad form

kernkraft500

when do I know it's time to get a new pair of runners.... ?

last 2 pairs were "worn" but still useable and comfy, but had injuries before I got a new pair...

shin splints the first time round...

achilleas issues the second time..

all fixed within a week of a new pair

Seve OB

Don’t they say about 500 miles?

or is that Km’s?

kernkraft500

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119441587#Comment_119441587

deffo hit the 500km in both pairs, I was easily 1-200km off 500 miles though

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119439822#Comment_119439822

I'm not sure on that. Think I'd just expect it to be carried over to the rescheduled date.

Some running events straddle the line between commercial profit events, and trying to make out they are for charity. I definitely wouldn't expect a refund or deferral for a club run or genuine charity event, although I might expect them to post me out the tshirt that then has the wrong year on it.

This event should have had cover for their costs though and be able to defer entries or at least offer big discount on the following year's entries if not doing full refund or straight deferral.

Sunny Dayz

If I was an entrant to that Cardiff 10k I'd be pretty peeved off. Cancelling it a month before it was due to take place. I'd be looking for my money back too. From reading the article between the lines it seems that the local council didn't grant permission for the event. The organisers now have to hold a virtual event because they've already ordered date specific medals and tshirts so a virtual event is the only other way to get rid of them. By rights the organisers should be offering either a deferred entry or a partial refund IMO.

kd82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119441703#Comment_119441703

I had booked Lisbon Half earlier this year in March. 3 of us had booked flights, hotel etc for that date. They then moved the race to May without refund. I found that really annoying as we couldn't make the May event, had trained for March, spent a fair bit etc. 3 entries went to waste in their sold out event. I'd say if they allowed a minimum 2023 entry we'd be planning to go back next year but they didn't even do that.

kernkraft500

is 2 marathons in a month (well 25 days apart) for a sporadic runner a bad idea?

I've done one before and know the craic.... not looking for a time, if I could finish either in one go without stopping I'd be happy, but not a necessity.

probably about 2 months training before the 1st one (yes I know 4 months min is usually standard)

Murph_D

Is it a bad idea? Depends what you want to get out of it I suppose. You won’t be trained for either of them. You’ll be in a world of pain for half of the first one and maybe two thirds of the second one. But if it’s something that means something to you and you’re reasonably healthy and strong, you’ll probably survive.

The question is, why?

kernkraft500

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119460997#Comment_119460997

why? I got an opportunity to do 2 that I never thought I would get to do... and with life circumstances changing over the next year, I'm not too sure when I'll get a chance to for a number of years, possibly....

Murph_D

Not sure how old you are. I did my first one at 51. What's the rush?

kernkraft500

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119461246#Comment_119461246

more so the opportunity is sitting on my lap....there is the option to postpone it a couple of years, but who knows if I'll even get to that point

FinnC

Just go and do them and stop overthinking it! If you’re not going for a time then take it easy, walk some if you have to and run when you can.

TFBubendorfer

For a sporadic runner, 2 marathons in relatively quick succession is no worse than running 1 marathon undertrained. If anything, you might be better trained for the second one because you should get some fitness benefits from the first one and you should be recovered from that.

There is a risk of injury there, but you always have that in running. If the first marathon goes badly you might not have much of an appetite for a second one, but that's a different issue.

Lazare

In your situation I think I'd jog/walk the first one, never doing more than a very easy pace, and then aim to jog the complete second one, again at a very easy pace.