Random Running Questions

"I just go out and attack the pavement" Oh, dear. Now if 280 there is right and you've been making this complaint for the last six months and still insist on "attacking the pavement" each run, well what do you expect? He, or she, also says you've ignored all the advice you received. In which case, yeah, you probably do need to give up!

If the sole purpose of running for you is to see improvement in your speed, then you're never going to be happy and you're running for the wrong reasons. Are you actually enjoying the runs? Do you feel good and satisfied after a run or do you just get annoyed because your "speed" wasn't right? What is the right speed you think you should be running? Remember, as humans we are shockingly bad at estimating our own ability so you really have no reference point there.

As others have said you've been given plenty of advice but I'll just suggest something before you pack it in, which by the way I think you will regret. To discover running and make it a part of your everyday life is a gift. Be wary of going too far into the realm of obsession where it just becomes torture.

Stop measuring. You're clearly obsessed with pace and numbers. This is utterly pointless and tormenting for somebody who's only after starting running because you have nothing to compare to other than your peers. 6 months is not a long time. My advice is to just go out with a stopwatch (if it's a garmin, turn off the pace and just show the time) and run for a planned time period. 40 mins, 50 mins, an hour, whatever. Allow your run to be 4.6km or 9.8km. The distance is what it is. Run by feel and listen to your body, empty your mind of pace and just feel the run and relax. Make it feel like you could chat away the whole time and try even take your mind off the run at times. Running with somebody can really help but maybe that's not your cup of tea. Gradually start introducing efforts where you are in control but working hard. This could be a slightly harder run once a week, or a few (1-2 minute) efforts in the middle of an easy run.

Who cares if older men are passing you out? Again, you're running for the wrong reasons if that upsets you. They've most likely been training much longer than you. I've been running regularly for 9 years and for the first few months of running I was too naive to even care about pace or improvement and I was lucky we didn't have Strava or anything like that. I didn't go out and "attack" runs. I just ran. The pace was whatever it was. It was an important period for my body to adjust to running regularly and of course it eventually adapted and I improved significantly over the next few years as I joined a club and introduced structure. You're building a base. Consider it like a large rock you're chipping away at. Little or nothing comes away as you chip away each day. But then one day a chunk suddenly comes off and you move to a new level. This is what will happen if you stick with it and relax. Persistence will always pay off. Finally, join a club.

Brilliant post, there's something for everybody in there! You reminded me of my first marathon when I felt really strong in the latter miles, I felt like Sonia O'Sullivan flying along for those miles! Of course she would have had 2 marathons run in the time I was running and I'm sure I was much closer to a shuffle than any form of flying but that didn't really matter a jot, it was that feeling - it was pretty special.

Running should be a joy Omega. Of course everyone struggles with motivation at times and we'd all love to be faster - no matter how much we've already improved, much wants more. But these are small parts of a much bigger picture, try to see the bigger picture. You've been given great advice, don't waste it.

I would like to echo what has already been said here & many many times before. It's extremely frustrating reading a post like this when you have been previously offered really good advice before & clearly ignored it.

To be a runner I believe the most important thing you need is enjoyment. You will not enjoy every run, will hate some in fact but if you are enjoying most then you are a runner. I would not be the runner I am today without this forum. For God's sake listen to the advice you have been given & you will see improvements, if you are just not bothered to listen then yes maybe you should give it up.

Running should not just be about paces, times etc that sh!t will drive you nuts. Running should be an escape, I would even go as far as saying a happy place. I honestly don't know where I would be without running right now, having just lost my da some days ago it hurts to breathe, even just talking to people but yet I can put the headphones in put on his playlist & run, that's what running should be.

I genuinely think at this stage you should really know whether you truly want to be a runner or not.

Just looking to do a quick straw poll -

how long (in hours) before a 9am HM or FM do you eat breakfast?

I suffer from runners stitch about 6-8m into race efforts, but v rare in training. I can work it out after 1-2m and then try to get back on track. A personal trainer thinks my stomach has shut down after 6-8m, diverting blood to the muscles and therefore I need to be eating earlier, 3-4hrs (porridge and banana, for me), to ensure my stomach is empty.

thanks!

If I'd a 9am marathon, I'd try to have breakfast (porridge with bananas and blueberries) and a full 500ml cafetiere by 6am at the latest. Maybe an excessive amount of coffee but makes sure everything is cleared out in good time before the start of the race.

True - I wouldn’t usually take a gel for the first 10m of a race or long fast Sunday morning run, and I take it over the course of a mile or so. I’d usually have a stitch afterwards of some sort.

for Antrim on Sunday (a test race for the Belfast FM), I’m going to try eating earlier, I usually eat 1.5-2hr before racing, and also test drinking less in the 2hrs before gun time. I’m usually well hydrated in the week leading to a race.

doing tonnes of abdominal wall stretches too. It’s a plague on my races for years and on Sunday I’ve a good shout at a 1:30 HM.

would you guys normally be hungry at the start line, or is that the point?

Agreed, it’s a lot of trial and error.

The test for Antrim on Sunday is:

40g porridge & banana, 2hr before

sipping water until 45min before

do the first 3m 5-10sec above goal pace

A quick update, - no stitch for the first time ever, and a sub 1:30 pb!

i ate 2.5hr before gun time, and drank nothing for 1.5hr beforehand. I was well hydrated in the days leading up and first thing in the morning.

during the race I drank zero and sipped a large 70g hydro gel from mile 7-10

great local support out, and the 1:30 pacer was spot on - If you’re reading this, thank you very much!

The fastest way out of it is to see a physio and have it assessed. Resting tendons rarely has the affect of fixing an injury so if you just take the time off when you go back to running it may reappear.

how old are your trainers?

Try Omnipark. It's 1k walk e.w.

I put on a pair of Crocs as soon as I enter the house and walk around wearing them, they are like walking a round barefoot which is supposed to be good for the achilles. I had a bit of achilles tendinitis, they would be sore in the morning particularly going down the stairs and it has much improved thanks to the Crocs. While sitting I try and keep stretching my toes towards my knees.

The vast majority of us will have a slight forward lean, so I wouldn't try over emphasise it anymore when running. Of course this is without seeing you run.

Your breathing should be relaxed and rhythmic as much as possible when running. This of course depends on the effort level and your current fitness.

Depends on what you mean "afterwards". If you mean straight away after finishing your run, then you're better of to stay moving. Breathe through your nose as Beep beep says, but try to think of expanding the ribcage not just up the way, but sideways as well. Nice slow relaxed breathing.

Personally I was never able to hit my max HR outside a race setting, no matter if I tried to kill myself running up a hill or do an interval session. The highest HR I ever measured was at a 5k with an uphill finish, and I never even got close to that in training, no matter what.

Therefore I think it's unlikely you will hit your true max HR in the session you described, so if you go ahead you might as well add another 5 beats to find your true max HR. On the other hand, if you are pretty sure your max HR is 190 you might as well take that for now.

Daniel's running formula is a very good book.

The training plans are tough, no doubt about it. If that's a good thing, depends on the runner. Some will have excellent results, some will end up overtraining.

The conversion tables are excellent, if you're a numbers kind of guy, though they can be found on the internet anyway. But it's a very good book written by a very good coach and I'd recommend it.

I've ordered them but haven't received yet, thanks.

Yes, it's pretty ridiculous. And it gets even more awkward if you are changing to a club in a different county.

If you're a cyclist and want to change your club then you just get onto cycling ireland's portal and do it all from there and none of this faffing about.

You can manage them online as per the above posts but there are only two transfers windows a year, April and September. You can train with any club though once you have your Athletics Ireland membership in place via a club but you can only compete for the club you are registered to. I think even after transfer you have to wait a month before you can compete for your new club.

Thanks for that.

I had emailed Athletics Ireland directly when i first wanted to move and they never mentioned that to me told me I had to do it the old school way. Also no mention of being able to do it online on Cork Athletics website (where I'm based)