Random Running Questions

T-Bird

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122143296#Comment_122143296

It might seem ridiculous, but the Wexford Festival of Running was just held last Saturday and Sunday, and that's running around a 1.3km track for 24hours!!!

TheRef

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122144844#Comment_122144844

Or the 24 hour run on New Years Eve around the track in Leixlip. The winner done 563 laps.

mp3ireland2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122144487#Comment_122144487

My wife is organising a birthday party the day of the dublin marathon so that's why I can't do that one……that was an oringal plan - she had invited some people from abroad already so I won't change that.

It wouldn't really bother me that it's not a race , I'd just enjoy the achievement of running the 26.2 miles which to me is a marathon. I saw somebody in the dull mens group i'm in on facebook ran one on a treadmill one evening😀 sort of got me thinkging.

I've booked accomodation for galway as i might be able to do that but as i back up if I've the training done i was toying with the idea of running one alone. Worst case scenario after for example 36km i'd not be able to keep going but that to me would still be somewhat of an achievent and i could train more and try again. I was happy with the achievement of running 25km a couple of weeks back as i'd never run that far before. It would be worse to have the training done not be able to do Galway and then not even try to run one myself, that was my thinking.

mp3ireland2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122143569#Comment_122143569

Unfortunately I'm away at the edinburgh festival that weekend…..I'm trying to fit a marathon into my schedule whilst i'm sure i should really have tried to organise a schedule around the marathon! Had booked Edinburgh accom a year in advance though to get something reasonable!

Sunny Dayz

@mp3ireland2 what about the Medieval Marathon in Kilkenny - mid Sept?

TheRef

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122145438#Comment_122145438

If you go out and run/walk 26.2 miles in one go, that's a marathon, and you're in the club 😀 so definitely don't be put off by it not being an organised event.

The worry I would have though is that you already mention doing 36km and possibly being happy with that, and definitely, that is a hell of an achievement, but if you have in your mind that 36km is good enough, when you are out there finding it very physically tough and in your case likely mentally and emotionally, if you are close to home, it would be so tempting to just call it a day and tell yourself you'll try again next week.

The other thing I always find hard with marathon training is not really the race itself, but the 3 weeks just before taper. The idea of going out for another 3.5 hour run is really tough. I often find it monotonous so you really need to be emotionally invested in doing the final run and commit to all the training. Its why people say the marathon is the victory lap.

If you do decide to do it, maybe consider joining the Boards Dublin novice group and even though you won't be running Dublin, it should help keep you on track with training.

mp3ireland2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122145908#Comment_122145908

I'm worried it could be too soon after the Edinburgh festival :-D but maybe i'd be all right if I take it handy at the festival!

mp3ireland2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122145924#Comment_122145924

Thanks, a good info there.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140871#Comment_122140871

I did 84 laps of a park a couple of years ago , (500meter laps), nothing to it. Had great crack altogether. Go for it.

mp3ireland2

Haha great going. Had you done a marathon race prior to this or was this your first one?

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152611#Comment_122152611

Did my first Marathon in 2019 with the help of the wonderful running gurus on this here forum, I followed the Dublin Marathon mentored thread(2024 version starting in a few weeks I would think) to a sub 4 hour. Although you have to find whats right for yourself there are so many opinions here, you will more than likely find the right one.

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122110771#Comment_122110771

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122111048#Comment_122111048

Sorry for the delay in getting back to ye.

After I wrote that post I took 6 days off from running before running 4 miles last Sunday 12th. Again, it was a little sore for a couple of days after, nothing too bad, but sore to touch and a little sore to walk on. I then dropped down to 5k on Wednesday and had a similar reaction, but any pain is almost gone for now. So I'm not too sure where I stand really. I think I might just stick to smaller distances for now (around 5k or so) and only run every three days or so, waiting for any pain or discomfort to fade before I run again or up my mileage. If it gets worse or doesn't go away I might have to take a different course of action.

One thing I should probably mention is I've also joined a gym recently which is all completely new to me. So maybe that's having an affect too, I don't know.

So answer your question ILikeBoats I never got an MRI on the leg. After initially being told it was free I subsequently found out it I'd have to pay over €300. My physio was very confident that it was a stress fracture though, and my leg responded well to wearing a boot for four and a half weeks, so I decided to take my chances. I was out of the boot for seven weeks before I went back running, and any pain/discomfort only reoccurred four weeks after reintroducing running.

MisterJinx

A question about warm-ups.

I'm back to doing some more interval based sessions and I've noticed something which I had forgotten. After an easy warm up and some dynamic stretches (sometimes) than the usual pattern is that the first one is really quite hard and you think that you'll never be able to hold the pace for the entire set but once the first one is over then the second one tends to be much better and for easier breathing and effort I can hold the pace. I've noticed this across all distances of interval even in Marathon paced sessions last year. I think this is completely normal however it got me to think about race day.

Typically I would just do some easy running and dynamic stretches before a race however it would be good to get that "first interval" out of the way and start the race on pace/effort. Not being overly experienced or racing all that much I don't have an idea of what are good warm up techniques for various race distances. I would have always been concerned with wasting energy beforehand and saving as much as possible for the race itself however this is probably not an optimum approach.

Does anyone have any ideas on good warm up techniques for various race distances? Does the race distance impact the warm up? Should you try and do some effort at race pace and for how long?

Escapees

Any race warm up I did in the past would have included doing some striding for 100m distances, just to loosen out and check the legs etc. It doesn't really make sense to just only stretch and do a slow jog as a warm up before a road race.

Sandwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122176723#Comment_122176723

In addition to strides I sometimes do two minutes at tempo effort before a race or speed session. I find it helps with what you describe. I'll do the warmup, stretches, strides and then finish with the tempo effort.

nozzferrahhtoo

No real question really though random commentary would be welcome though of course I am not seeking medical advice just some thinking out loud.

Sigh It looks like I have to pull out of a marathon attempt I was going to do this Sunday.

I tried a marathon last year and dropped out at 29km due to knee pain. In fairness my equipment was bad and my readiness not up to par. But I tried it anyway. When the pain came I decided not to push it.

Since I have been better at my preparation and improved shoes and some knees over toes guy stuff and all was good. Been running two to three half marathons a week for months now.

On the 12th and 14th I did a nice half marathon with a good time and felt great and it was in high heat weather so I was extra happy with my performance. Before that on the 9th I did a 32km session and felt great after that too.

I had a bit of a break due to travel and felt good on Wednesday this week and decided to go out for a 10km to just loosen up before Sunday. But after 3km I felt a pain I never felt before. Right leg about half way between ankle and knee. Like a ring of muscle pain around the whole leg which extended slowly as I ran down the back of my lower leg but not reaching the ankle. So I abandoned the run as it slowly got more painful.

Tried it again yesterday for 10 minutes and today too. The pain came back both times.

As soon as I stopped running the pain quickly subsided and my leg felt entirely normal and fine as if it would be happy to go running again. No tenderness, discoloration or swelling or any other signs of an issue like reduced range of motion or anything. I can easily go up and down the flights of stairs between my car and my apartment. Touch my toes from standing. No issues at all.

Nothing has changed recently and I had no injuries or anything else I can blame as a root cause. Dr. Google and Dr. ChatGPT throw out a couple of possible explanations mostly one kind of tendinitis or another. It just comes on if I start running (first signs after about 1km) and disappears fairly quick when I stop. So hopefully its nothing more serious than a muscle that's in a bad way for some reason and just needs some time.

So I think I will just put the feet up for the weekend and go to the Doctor on Monday morning for some diagnostics and maybe an ultrasound or something. But feeling really down about it as I was genuinely looking forward to this weekends Marathon. Pulling out of a marathon mere days before the event probably happens to people on here a lot I guess, but it doesn't get emotionally easier I assume? :(

Escapees

The way you describe it sounds like a calf cramping! But assuming nothing so trivial, is there any possibility you might have a stress fracture of your shin bone?

nozzferrahhtoo

No pain anywhere near the shin. The majority of it is in the back of the leg and feels entirely muscular. I am also able to manipulate and smack and thump my leg all over with no sign of anything damaged or complaining or hurting. I can drum on the bones and nothing is uncomfortable. In fact there is no sign anything is wrong until I have been running about 1KM when it sets on…. but once I stop running it dissipates again quickly.

Doing nothing much with it today. Just resting around mostly. I went to the shops earlier and was able to run down and back up 5 flights of stairs. No discomfort.

I might get up at dawn tomorrow and give it a try and see if its corrected itself. But my hope is low.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178495#Comment_122178495

Interesting. My go to warm up would be starting easy and building to about steady effort, then a couple of strides. I like the sound of that 2 mins @ tempo, will give it a try.

Lately for our club sessions we do a set of strides then some plyometrics, pogo jumps. Feels like it works well.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122178495#Comment_122178495

Interesting. My go to warm up would be starting easy and building to about steady effort, then a couple of strides. I like the sound of that 2 mins @ tempo, will give it a try.

Lately for our club sessions we do a set of strides then some plyometrics, pogo jumps. Feels like it works well.

Unknownability

Has anyone used final surge as a training plan platform previously?

I'm currently using it for a half marathon and I've no idea how to adjust the pace of the work outs. It seems to be set up using a time of 1'25 which I was previously aiming for and now I can't figure out how to change that to a slower time.

macchoille

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120307461#Comment_120307461

Thanks so much for the tips back then. I did listen and slowed it down. I did take the plunge and joined a club too.

I’m still running away and still learning . Broke 20 mins last July in the 5k and managed a sub 90 HM back in August (as well as a few decent 10k and 15ks).

This season I broke 19mins and 18 mins in the 5k, broke 39 mins in the 10k. Hoping to officially break 17:45 in the 5k (strava says I have already in a race that was 50m over ). Will be switching over to HM training early next month; hoping for a comfortable sub 1hr 15k and a sub 85 HM.

event

Wow, that is huge progression in just over a year. Well done