Random Running Questions

pointer28

It's just what I've always done since I started running.

I leave the house, walk down the road to my usual start/finish point, do my run and then walk home again.

My background is with horses and we always walk them easy for 5 or 10 minutes after a training session.

I'm not saying it's right but it's what I personally do and it seems to work for me.

cianc

I'd usually walk a couple of minutes at the end of a session. Beats falling in the door and collapsing in a heap.

TFBubendorfer

pointer28 wrote: »

Run, then walk for 5 mins, then stretch.

Or: Run, then walk for a couple of minutes, and don't ever stretch because you don't want to increase your risk of injury

Netwerk Errer

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

, and don't ever stretch because you don't want to increase your risk of injury

It's not quite straightforward as that. While some tension in the muscles and tendons may benefit a runner because they will have greater elastic energy return. A decreased range of motion from a sustained period of time without mobility exercises in the ankles, feet and hips will hurt a runners will hurt a runners performance and increases the risk of injury.

Most of the studies that recommend avoiding stretching completely cite that tension is an adaption that helps a runners economy but they fail in recognising that people lose range of motion from their daily lives. A person who sits down a lot will have shortened hip flexors which will hurt the runners performance. A "shortened" Achilles will also limit the power a runner can put down at pushoff. Most of the best runners in the world are hyper-flexible in the ankles and hips. They are functionally flexible.

davedanon

There's a real character in our club that makes a habit of turning up at the last possible second before a race, and frequently joins in training runs having literally just gotten out of the driver's seat. The thing is though, he's a former tae-kwondo champion, and is hyper-bendy.

RonanP77

I have a few questions on running terminology and how to do certain things.

1. Are LSR and Easy done at the same pace or is easy a little faster?

2. What's the difference between H/M pace and H/M effort?

3. If I'm doing 5k steady with 1k warm up and cool down, does that mean I'm running 5k or 7k?

4. Strides, I like the idea of doing them, are they done as an individual session or after an Easy run? Should everyone be doing them?

5. Intervals, I see people writing about them but I'm confused. Is it a steady run with short faster intervals? How long should the intervals be?

davedanon

RonanP77 wrote: »

I have a few questions on running terminology and how to do certain things.

1. Are LSR and Easy done at the same pace or is easy a little faster?

2. What's the difference between H/M pace and H/M effort?

3. If I'm doing 5k steady with 1k warm up and cool down, does that mean I'm running 5k or 7k?

4. Strides, I like the idea of doing them, are they done as an individual session or after an Easy run? Should everyone be doing them?

5. Intervals, I see people writing about them but I'm confused. Is it a steady run with short faster intervals? How long should the intervals be?

3. 7k

5. Intervals are a specified number of hard runs of a specific distance. Typically the range (for medium/long-distance runners) would be 400m up to 1 or 2 miles. In between you have a rest period, also of a specified length. A typical 400m interval session would ideally be done a track, and might involve 10 reps, run at roughly 5k pace, with a minute's rest in between. But everything can vary. At the start of a training cycle, you might start with 6 reps, and build up to 16 or 20 over a couple of months. Also, you might shorten the recovery period. The only thing that shouldn't change, as I understand it, is the actual pace. Running at 5k pace for a lap should be hard, but not exhausting; the key is consistency. The aim is to finish tired, but not on your knees. Longer intervals can be done on roads, or grass even.

This is just my understanding. Happy to be corrected if I'm mistaken anywhere.

adrian522

I'm far from an expert on any of this but I'll give it a go answering your questions.

RonanP77 wrote: »

I have a few questions on running terminology and how to do certain things.

1. Are LSR and Easy done at the same pace or is easy a little faster?

I tend to go a little slower on the LSR but not by too much, the easy runs need to be at a conversational pace.

2. What's the difference between H/M pace and H/M effort?

H/M Effort would be the pace you could run a HM today while HM Pace would be the pace you intend to run in your target race which may be several weeks away and assume an increase in fitness before the race.

3. If I'm doing 5k steady with 1k warm up and cool down, does that mean I'm running 5k or 7k?

7K.

4. Strides, I like the idea of doing them, are they done as an individual session or after an Easy run? Should everyone be doing them?

I do them at the end of easy runs, maybe once or twice per week. Not sure if everyone should do them but I like to do them.

5. Intervals, I see people writing about them but I'm confused. Is it a steady run with short faster intervals? How long should the intervals be?

It will depend on what plan you are following but in theory they could be any distance. I've done intervals from around 200m up to mile intervals. They would typically be a set number of intervals with recovery in between, so something like 8x800m @ 10K pace with 2 mins recovery or whatever.

That would mean a 1-2 mile warmup. 800m at 10K pace, then 2 mins recovery jog, repeat 8 times and then 1-2 mile cool down.

Hope this helps.

yaboya1

I've got loads of help on here, so I'll try my best to reciprocate.

RonanP77 wrote: »

I have a few questions on running terminology and how to do certain things.

1. Are LSR and Easy done at the same pace or is easy a little faster?

They would be very similar. Sometimes you would incorporate MP miles into your long run. Those miles would obviously be a bit faster than easy.

RonanP77 wrote: »

2. What's the difference between H/M pace and H/M effort?

H/M pace would be the actual pace per mile/km of your predicted/pb HM. However, some days you can feel better/worse than others meaning the same effort can result in a slightly faster/slower pace. It's more important to run at the correct effort than hit the actual paces.

RonanP77 wrote: »

3. If I'm doing 5 k steady with 1k warm up and cool down, does that mean I'm running 5k or 7k?

7k

RonanP77 wrote: »

4. Strides, I like the idea of doing them, are they don e as an individual session or after an Easy run? Should everyone be doing them?

They are normally done immediately after some of your easy runs. Most people fit them into their training.

RonanP77 wrote: »

5. Intervals, I see people writing about them but I'm confused. Is it a steady run with short faster intervals? How long should the intervals be?

You would generally warm up slowly for a mile or two (possibly throwing in a few strides too) beforehand, then run the required amount of intervals at the set distance, taking the recommended recovery periods in between. These recoveries are normally jogged. The distance of the intervals can range from 100m all the way up to a mile (or even two sometimes I think?) All depends on what you're training for and the purpose of the session.

Hope this helps.

*I think what I've written is right, but I'm happy to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable.

RonanP77

Cheers everyone, I'll have a much better idea what I'm at now when I'm drawing up a training plan in the new year.

Thargor

Any quick fix for stitches? The one directly underneath your lung type? This is the limiting factor between me doing 5k instead of 7k+ in the evenings at the minute. Sometimes they evaporate but more often they get worse until I have to walk until they're completely gone then start running again.

Krusty_Clown

Thargor wrote: »

Any quick fix for stitches? The one directly underneath your lung type? This is the limiting factor between me doing 5k instead of 7k+ in the evenings at the minute. Sometimes they evaporate but more often they get worse until I have to walk until they're completely gone then start running again.

Try eating and drinking less, just before you head out for your run. That is what has worked for me. Still get hit with them occasionally though, usually at the crux part of a race, after climbing a hill, so in my case, I reckon it's down to breathing pattern changes between running up a hill and reaching the apex. Try and figure out what's causing them for you. Unfortunately there's no real scientific cause/effect/remedy.

crisco10

I heard someone on Marathon Talk podcast say a while ago that smiling helped her. It sounds funny but a prolonged smile does help me; it seems to relieve the tension or something.

RayCun

Thargor wrote: »

Any quick fix for stitches? The one directly underneath your lung type? This is the limiting factor between me doing 5k instead of 7k+ in the evenings at the minute. Sometimes they evaporate but more often they get worse until I have to walk until they're completely gone then start running again.

you're probably going quite fast?

Thargor

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Try eating and drinking less, just before you head out for your run. That is what has worked for me. Still get hit with them occasionally though, usually at the crux part of a race, after climbing a hill, so in my case, I reckon it's down to breathing pattern changes between running up a hill and reaching the apex. Try and figure out what's causing them for you. Unfortunately there's no real scientific cause/effect/remedy.

I eat a banana and drink a glass of water before I go out at 7pm but before that I havent eaten since lunch.

crisco10 wrote: »

I heard someone on Marathon Talk podcast say a while ago that smiling helped her. It sounds funny but a prolonged smile does help me; it seems to relieve the tension or something.

Ill give it a try while the evenings are dark, thanks.

RayCun wrote: »

you're probably going quite fast?

No fear of that, maybe too fast for someone who only started this year though. I think in the last couple of weeks Ive slowly started to power through them, as in they recede a bit to a low ache for the rest of the run if I just ignore them, very random and annoying though.

Ososlo

Thargor wrote: »

I eat a banana and drink a glass of water before I go out at 7pm but before that I havent eaten since lunch.

Ill give it a try while the evenings are dark, thanks.

No fear of that, maybe too fast for someone who only started this year though. I think in the last couple of weeks Ive slowly started to power through them, as in they recede a bit to a low ache for the rest of the run if I just ignore them, very random and annoying though.

Leave at least 2 hours between eating and running and you might solve your problem immediately! I leave about 2.5-3 hours so I don't get stitches. Can still happen though!

RayCun

Thargor wrote: »

No fear of that, maybe too fast for someone who only started this year though. I think in the last couple of weeks Ive slowly started to power through them, as in they recede a bit to a low ache for the rest of the run if I just ignore them, very random and annoying though.

"too fast" means "too fast for you"
It doesn't matter what speed someone else runs at, you're the one getting a stitch!
Have you run any races/parkruns? How does your time for them compare to your time for a regular evening 5k?

Thargor

Ososlo wrote: »

Leave at least 2 hours between eating and running and you might solve your problem immediately! I leave about 2.5-3 hours so I don't get stitches. Can still happen though!

I need the banana though, if I hadn't eaten for 3 hours beforehand I wouldn't be able to lift my legs.

Ososlo

Thargor wrote: »

I need the banana though, if I hadn't eaten for 3 hours beforehand I wouldn't be able to lift my legs.

Try not eating so close and you might surprise yourself.
If I had a banana before a run I would 100 % get a bad stitch.

yaboya1

Ososlo wrote: »

If I had a banana before a run I would 100 % get a bad stitch.

If I had a banana directly before a run, I'd be more worried about a visit from the gingerbread man than a stitch :P

pistol_75

Thargor wrote: »

I need the banana though, if I hadn't eaten for 3 hours beforehand I wouldn't be able to lift my legs.

Banana's take a long time to be digested by the body, so I would suggest having it a lot earlier or having something else.

plodder

Thargor wrote: »

I need the banana though, if I hadn't eaten for 3 hours beforehand I wouldn't be able to lift my legs.

That could just be perception though. It really depends on what you've been doing for the few hours before your run. If like a lot of us, you sit at a desk during the day, then you haven't been using up much energy and shouldn't need to eat before running. Of course, if your work involves more physical activity then it would be different.

Enduro

Thargor wrote: »

I need the banana though, if I hadn't eaten for 3 hours beforehand I wouldn't be able to lift my legs.

You probably only think you need it. There is no reason why you should need it. (For a "putting my money where my mouth is" example, last saturday I did a 5+ hour run having not eaten for about 12 hours beforehand).

RayCun

banana or no banana, if you're running 5-7k there shouldn't be a problem either way unless you are running too fast

RonanP77

If I did a 5+ hour run I'd probably never need to eat again. It'd most likely end up with my ashes getting scattered about somewhere.

Ososlo

RonanP77 wrote: »

If I did a 5+ hour run I'd probably never need to eat again. It'd most likely end up with my ashes getting scattered about somewhere.

Not if you were properly trained to run for 5 hours!
and running at the correct effort!

Clearlier

Thargor wrote: »

Any quick fix for stitches? The one directly underneath your lung type? This is the limiting factor between me doing 5k instead of 7k+ in the evenings at the minute. Sometimes they evaporate but more often they get worse until I have to walk until they're completely gone then start running again.

Run at an easier effort and practice belly breathing. If that doesn't make sense: next time you get a stitch put your hands behind your head and spread your elbows wide so that they're in line with your shoulders. They'll encourage you to do both of the above and the stitch will be gone in a minute or two.

Ososlo

Clearlier wrote: »

Run at an easier effort and practice belly breathing. If that doesn't make sense: next time you get a stitch put your hands behind your head and spread your elbows wide so that they're in line with your shoulders. They'll encourage you to do both of the above and the stitch will be gone in a minute or two.

Wow! That easy? Wish I had heard this a few years ago!

Clearlier

Ososlo wrote: »

Wow! That easy? Wish I had heard this a few years ago!

I think so. I got told it by an old school runner about 25 years ago (or maybe a bit more:eek:) and it has always worked for me and for anyone that I suggested it to. One sure fire way to get rid of a stitch caused by running is to stop running. Running more slowly and breathing deeply is kind of half way to that. Sticking your hands behind your head is just a cue that forces you to do that (I defy anyone to run quickly with their hands behind their head!)

Netwerk Errer

Clearlier wrote: »

(I defy anyone to run quickly with their hands behind their head!)

Unless there's someone behind you saying, "hands on your head". Some people turn into Usain Bolt when they hear those words.