You're a time travelling runner and...

Amadeus 2014

...you get the opportunity to give yourself some advice.

What would it be and why?

Personally it would be one of two things. Probably to go back to when I was first starting to get into running properly and tell myself to do speedwork. The gains in time I made from moving to a P&D plan and incorporating a proper track / speed session once a week was huge and (apart from the obvious increase in mileage) probably resulted in more improvement than any other element. The only other advice that would really, really help would be at the start of my first marathon where I would have spent the first 18 miles yelling "SLOW DOWN YOU UTTER MORON!" at myself over and over again....

So what about you?

kit3

I'd start 20 years earlier

walshb

I'd tell myself to chill and relax. It's only 5k!

RayCun

yes - regular faster running, and or short hills
join a club earlier (and close my ears to the appeals for people to help with coaching juveniles :pac: )

I think I was always on board with the 'easy runs easy' thing, but without enough controlled faster running to balance it out

wrstan

Message to younger self (much younger): Don't give up in your late teens!

Firedance

Super idea for a thread

- Start 15 years earlier
- stop smoking now
- do some speed work & don't run all your runs at the same pace which wasn't even your easy pace - duh
- DO NOT DO A MARATHON after only 3 years running and only 1 of those years had actual 'weekly mileage'
- find boards sooner, this is where all the good help is
- join a club

RayCun

I could tell myself not to run a marathon a year after starting running, but I know I wouldn't listen

Clearlier

I'd want to help my younger self find a way to run without getting injured. The best advice would probably be to wait another 20 years to be born!

Failing that find a good orthotist/podiatrist and do lots of yoga.


Oh and eating those chocolate chip cookies to make yourself heavier for a rugby is a bad idea on so many levels

DogSlySmile

Stop doing 10ks and get into ultras, pronto! Theres adventures to be had!

ClashCityRocker

Another vote for join a club. I've been running pretty consistently, doing races etc since 2007 yet only joined a club this year :rolleyes: and the improvements from better structure to training, good coaching and running with others rather than solo have been tangible. It almost feels like i've wasted the last few years before this one running wise.

Baggirshorts

I would never have started smoking...:(

BeepBeep67

I'd like to go back to the summer of '83 just after I picked up my first running injury and put an arm around my shoulder and say 'don't give up, the injury will get better' and then stay in touch to make sure I stayed with athletics rather than wine, women and song :cool:

Gavlor

Stick with football, don't register on boards.ie and avoid people called meno.

Plus, for the love of God please enter more races.

Roadtoad

Ironman thirty years ago.

But if I could REALLY time travel, I would beat Coe, Cram and Ovett in Moscow, 1980.

'Roadtoad comes from nowhere ...... ' thats what real time travel is for.

Notwork Error

Another for keeping it up when I was younger.

2 years ago: Think about your training you idiot! You can't race every weekend(sometime twice), hammer workouts and runs and expect to gains to continue.

Earlier this year: Don't overthink your training you idiot! Running is a relatively a simple sport at the heart of it, you'll see much bigger gains from just getting out there and running more than knocking out a massive quantity of repeats for now. Run fast, not hard, remaining as relaxed and in control as possible should be the goal of every run from easy to intervals, the splits come second and are only a marker of progress.

Ososlo

Really wish I had stopped galavanting and started running much sooner in life. Woulda coulda shulda... ah well what's the point ... as I just wasn't in a place where exercising meant anything to me until a few years ago.

Also WISH that I had started a written log of my running from the very first beginnings of Couch to 5k. I'd love to read back now on exactly what I was up to. I have Garmin records from soon after I finished the programme, but there's nothing like narrative musings to look back on.

DubOnHoliday

Wish I could go back in time when my Mother was still here to show her the change in my life since I started running.

The Muppet

I'd go back to last wednesday week and take a rest day,

Singer

Ososlo wrote: »

Really wish I had stopped galavanting and started running much sooner in life. Woulda coulda shulda... ah well what's the point ... as I just wasn't in a place where exercising meant anything to me until a few years ago.

Same. Why didn't I run before my mid-30s? :eek::rolleyes::mad:;)

Rick Ford

Shud of dated raccoon wen i had the chance...

kit3

Rick Ford wrote: »

Shud of dated raccoon wen i had the chance...

You trying to win 'post of the year' ???

annapr

I would tell myself don't stop running regularly after DCM 2015... Oh wait, that's the present.

In the past (way back in 2011 or so), I would tell myself to get off that treadmill much sooner and get out and run... Don't be so self-conscious, forget about all your athletic humiliations as a kid, you will love it (but I wouldn't believe the last part).

SeanPuddin_

I'd go back to the summer I got silver for U15 decathlon including an age record for triple jump. I was a nervous wee lad back then and was terrified of the boogeyman so slept with my knees tucked to my chest, it was just comfortable and normal but went on for years. I remember running home with the silver medal and cert and my knee fell from under me. No doc, no more club, and a weak knee since. I lost interest in all athletics from that day.

I'd love to go back to that day and walk home.

6781

Don't stop running you can run a marathon before you're 30.

wrstan

Rick Ford wrote: »

Shud of dated raccoon wen i had the chance...

we've really missed you!

Chivito550

….. go back in time and knock the stupid distance mentality out of me. Just because you aren’t out of breath, or feeling sick after a session, doesn’t mean the training is not hard. Nobody would ever say at the end of a 5 x 200, 3 x 300 speed endurance sessions, “Sure I’ll do another rep”, yet when it comes to short sharp sprinting, or jumping, it is perceived as easier, and because you feel grand after the session, you feel like you can just keep on going. “I’ll do just one more jump”. Then after that jump, “ok, just one more”. Result = time on the sidelines.

Distance mentality is a bad bad thing. Longer doesn’t necessarily mean harder. Just means different.

chrislad

RayCun wrote: »

I could tell myself not to run a marathon a year after starting running, but I know I wouldn't listen

I did that too. It was a fairly okay experience thanks to Dubgal and the novices thread, but I definitely feel I could have done with a couple more years under my belt so I'm going to aim for another one in 2017/8 and do it justice, rather than just getting over the line!

I'd start a lot earlier myself. I was fairly inactive between the ages of 14 and 30, and I'm paying for it in terms of effort needed at times. I'd also go slower at the start - I was racing every run I did! Knackered me out!

Enduro

Back to myself in secondary school:

Put the feckin pitch and putt clubs down for a second will ya, I've got something to say to you. Just because you're a crap sprinter and you're crap at soccer, hurling and GAA doesn't mean you're crap at running or active sports. Your suspicions that you might have some usedful endurance are worth persuing. Pop on over to the local running club and give a go. Sure isn't your best mate's mother one of the coaches. And I'll tell ya what... if you can manage to train hard enough to beat all the girls over any distance of your choice I'll give you 100 quid

Oh, and while we're at, if they keep making you play those ballsports in school, keep your eyes on the ball when your striking it, not the targer. It'll be safer for everyone concerned, and you might raise yourself above useless level

To myself in College:

Stop playing feckin tetris for a second would ya. Yeah, having your capitation fees go to the chess club is all very funny, but maybe it might actually be worth checking out a few of the sports clubs. They won't bite you know. You'll regret not making full use of university life and only walking away with a degree or two.

And while you're at it, why not save some money and de-rust the bike in the shed and use it to get to college. Yeah I know it's the whole length of the train line and more, but you'd be surprised. You'll actually be quicker overall. You might actually find you're useful enough at that as well, and enjoy yourself by accident.

Krusty_Clown

Running?! Yes, you can. Some day you may actually try to break 2:30 for the marathon, so might as well start now. Also, don't buy those Telecom Eireann shares. And that cooked pork chop that was in the tinfoil container at the back of the fridge? Stay well clear.

robinph

I'd go and win the 1908 Olympic Marathon along the original course and set the world record in the process.

IvoryTower

Going back to January, id tell myself to run slower and build up strength for the first few months so that I don't spend the following months wondering why my calves constantly hurt!

Enduro

if you can manage to train hard enough to beat all the girls over any distance of your choice I'll give you 100 quid

The meaning of this little dig at myself becomes clearer when you know that I grew up in Cobh would have had to train as a teenager in the 80s. The 100 quid would be safe enough

dna_leri

30 years ago:
Ok so you probably won't make the team for Seoul 88 and your coach has left town, but you can still run at a relatively high level. You have plenty of speed, work on your endurance and you can be a decent middle distance runner.

20 years ago:
You are past your best but stop thinking about what could have been, go for a run, you might enjoy it.

15 years ago:
Sell all those shares now and you won't need to work this hard again and you can spend the rest of your days running.

10 years ago:
Just go out and run, you fat b@stard.

cjt156

Likewise -

30 years ago: I know you hate team sports but here's an alternative that could be a fit for you.

20 years ago: beer and fags seem great now but you could offset some of the damage if you just got out and ran a bit.

10 years ago: OK enough, ya gobsh!te, get off that bloody couch.

5 years ago: at last, now take it easy & build slowly.

6 months ago: train more this year before pushing yourself for that event, or you'll end up injuring yourself.

3 months ago: didn't I fecking tell ya!

Murph_D

I'd go forward in time and say to my 70-year-old self, "See what you can still do? You can thank me for that."

Roadtoad

If any of ye figure out this time travel stuff works, can you slap a few bob on last weeks EuroMillions €165M svp.
Can't stop the Portugese guy taking half, but a slice of the other half would be nice.
So: 4, 30, 34, 46, 49, 7, 8.

pconn062

I would go back and concentrate on building the chassis, before trying to build the engine.

Cabaal

I'd have started younger and trained for far longer before my first marathon, also in October 2015 I'd tell myself not to run the Dublin Marathon so I wouldn't be going through the current injury problems I have!!! :mad::mad::mad:

vanderlyle

Roadtoad wrote: »

If any of ye figure out this time travel stuff works, can you slap a few bob on last weeks EuroMillions €165M svp.
Can't stop the Portugese guy taking half, but a slice of the other half would be nice.
So: 4, 30, 34, 46, 49, 7, 8.

If you're going to the trouble to invent time travel, why not just go back one week further, and win it outright, no need to share?

Like a lot of people, my advice to myself would be to the 13 year old who tried out cross country to stick with the running, that you could actually be ok at this if you persist. I'd also go back to that schools cross country day in the Phoenix park and shout at myself, as I kicked for the finish line, "slow down there's a second lap!"

Myles Splitz

To myself 10 years ago

- Hard Days hard and easy days easy - don't underestimate this mantra.

- There is more to training than the number of miles you log, don't neglect Strength work for performance not just injury prevention.

- Don't be afraid to race. Sometimes you can learn more from a bad race than a good session.

rainbow kirby

I'd have told my self not to get as fat in my early 20s as I did - dragging a lot of weight around like that really isn't good at all. I'd have started earlier than 24 too. I'd also have told myself that planning to do a marathon 8 weeks after I submitted my masters thesis was stupid!