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Random Running Questions

Ososlo

Not sure if this will be a goer, but personally I like the idea of having a place to pose some random questions about running related stuff that don’t justify a thread of their own. I’ll kick it off.

- What is the best time of the day to drink your beetjuice?
- Why do cyclists take precedence over runners in the phoenix park and have a lane of their own? I see as many runners as cyclists there if not more?
- Does wearing high heels 7 days a week (when you're not running;)) have a bad impact on your running style?
- Why do some people log out of boards while they’re reading so their green light is not on? We all know they're reading as they answer stuff straight away but they log out immediately they post and thank stuff.
- Along with being naturally faster, do men have another distinct advantage in running over women in that they have no boobs?
- Does anyone else feel that the majority of people posting in this forum are middle-class? Is running more of a middle-class activity?
- Is this a stupid idea for a thread

So if you can answer one of these things for me, fire ahead and if you can answer all of them then woo hoo:D

So what would you like to ask?

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[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121117467#Comment_121117467

Sounds like the injury left you doubting yourself. Treat it like a long run, get the tee shirt, high five some spectators and go for a steak after. Running with a few thousand hyped up runners will give you a jump start for sure.

Then sign up for another race 😃

Lujan

Hi guys,

I really ramped up my running this year.

Half marathon in Madrid in April with a very half ar$ed build up, long runs one week, no runs then for a couple of weeks.

After Madrid I knuckles down and started training properly, with some advice from you guys here.

Since then I have clocked up almost 700km running 4 times a week.

I was away for a couple of weeks in August, tried some short runs while away but it was too hot. Once I got back I went straight back into my training, pulled a muscle and had to stop again.

The Dublin half marathon is next week, so I will have had 3weeks to get get back to a decent condition for it but I am really struggling with motivation to get up and get my runs in.

A week to go and I have had to force myself out the door for every run.

I dont know if it is because the race is almost here, or if I am just tired of the running.

Any advice on getting motivation or drive back would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

FinnC

Some great advice there Rick.

RickNally

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121092991#Comment_121092991

I really like the bike as crosstraining for marathon distance. There are a lot of marathon runners with ambitious race goals who struggle with the higher running volume usually prescribed for longer distance race prep. I find that using the bike to boost aerobic fitness, without putting nearly as much impact on the body, is a great addition to race prep. Regardless of whether you're injured or not.

Long multiple hour slogs on the turbo can be a head wreck though (for me at least). Shorter interval sessions of 30-40mins at Heart Rate Zone 3-4 helped me to run a great season of races after a stress fracture. I only ran once per week (with the sole goal of building up tolerance to weight bearing) and did all of my real "fitness" work on the bike / in the pool.

You can pretty much make up any session you want by following some simple guide lines.

1) Aim for primarily aerobic efforts, with at least a 2-1 work to rest ratio. Some anaerobic work can be helpful for marathon prep but really you want to build that aerobic base.

2) I recommend using heart rate (HR) as your training effort guide. If you're not as experienced on the bike it can be tougher to translate the relative effort of training paces to watts, but your HR lets you know if you're working hard enough.

3) Keep it enjoyable. Injuries suck enough already, but so many athletes decided to essentially "punish" themselves by making crosstraining the most miserable experience on earth. Mix up your workouts and do some fun stuff you probably wouldn't do if you were just running as normal.

Some of my favourite bike sessions

10-12 x 3 min @ Zone 3 [60 sec recovery]

20-24 x 60 sec @ Zone 4 [30 sec recovery]

Fun one for when you couldn't be bothered - Pick a playlist you like but ensure that the music has a clear drop or breakdown. Aim for a steady Zone 2 (4-5/10) effort but every time there is a drop / chorus / breakdown, up your pace and aim to hold a Zone 4 (7-8/10) effort for as long as it goes on for. Set a timer for 40-60 mins and just let the music determine your workout.

Trampas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121093083#Comment_121093083

Thanks

It’s all lower. I can do it all on a turbo so don’t need to worry about rain etc just sweat like hell at home. I managed 2+ hours outdoors yesterday easy effort without issue. Getting it checked in a few weeks to see where I’m I could be. 12 weeks till marathon but had planed Dublin as a long training run. I’ll have to cycle more to cut on some easy runs I guess to manage the load. Just them speed and tempo sessions and long runs are the ones you mainly miss

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121092991#Comment_121092991

I can't find it now but I was reading an article yesterday by a (good) Ironman athlete who got injured and couldn't run until 5 weeks before the event (and still managed a 3:30-ish run leg on the day). From memory he basically did one long cycle a week (like 3-4 hours at brisk pace) and two-three medium-high intensity interval sessions. His approach was essentially to ditch the usual 80/20 rule in favour of higher intensity, since he was used to a certain (high) level of training stress and could handle it without overtraining risk (because he wasn't running).

A lot depends on your cycling history, because if you plunge too deep into it without being reasonably well conditioned already you risk just getting differently injured, and obviously depends on what sort of injury is keeping you off your feet. Cycling is light on the lower legs (feet/ankles/calves) but heavy enough on the knees, hips, hamstrings and core, so if you have lower leg issues like achilles you'll be safer cycling than (say) with a knee or IT band issue which cycling can make worse.

Good luck!

Trampas

Anyone any suggestions on bike sessions while marathon training when unable to run but can bike until I’m back on the feet again

never_mind

Oh god, BeepBeep, I will be lucky to get 2.10! Last HM was 1.52 I think but I am now older, greyer and fatter!

BeepBeep67

Dublin HM.

Will be cooler next week.

I'm continuing my streak of pacing the <1h40 group uninterrupted (except C19) since 2012.

Say hello if that's your target!

event

Think I am in ok shape. This weather will be over next week so dont stress too much about not being able to get out in it

never_mind

How are we all set for the HM on the 23 Sept? I was hoping to run 21k today, but not sure if I can face that heat. Did a 5k last night and it was tough (and usually they are a walk in the park!)

RickNally

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121074176#Comment_121074176

As with most of the eating aspects of training, it's quite individual. I knew a few guys who could walk up to the start line of a race eating a sandwich and not have any issues, while if others even saw food an hour before a race they'd feel nauseous during. Experiment with what works for you and helps you get the balance of not feeling hungry / drained heading into your run, while also avoiding an uncomfortable belly full of food bouncing along with every step.

Most of my training at the moment is at 7pm, so I have a big lunch a bit earlier than usual (around 11:00-11:30am) then another smaller snack around 4pm (e.g. some toast with banana and honey). I'm someone who can't eat close to a run or I immediately feel sick, but I also struggle with energy if I haven't eaten in several hours. It took a while to figure it out but once I found a system that worked it's served me well.

RickNally

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071977#Comment_121071977

Sounds pretty ideal so. A lot of runners miss out on the benefit of gym work, but if you're working through exercises regularly, especially with some guidance, then it sounds like you're doing it right. Enjoy

Unthought Known

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076371#Comment_121076371

Same here. Sometimes a banana instead of toast, and even that is probably just because I'm telling myself I should eat something.

Sandwell

I'd have a normal lunch and then usually something light like toast or a bagel 60-90 mins before the session. Followed by a normal dinner when I get home.

Stark

I'd wait till I get home also. You're only going to feel sick if you try eating dinner beforehand. I wouldn't worry about it affecting your session too much, assuming you eat enough in general, a few hours since lunch isn't going to drain your glycogen stores even if your brain is telling you it's a bit peckish.

Annie get your Run

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121074391#Comment_121074391

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121074397#Comment_121074397

That's what I have been doing with varying degrees of success/failure but actually I think it's what I'm eating at lunchtime that's the culprit. A decent sambo seems to do the trick, a lentil salad, not so much...😃.

adrian522

Eat afterwards generally, normal lunch, something small around 3 or 4 works for me. Wouldn't be able to do a sesison after eating any later.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121074176#Comment_121074176

Personally I wouldn't eat anything beyond lunchtime and would eat dinner afterwards. I tend to eat dinner quite late anyway, 9pm ish so my body is possibly used to it.

A good lunch should see you well fuelled for an evening session but if peckish a banana or nuts would be my go to. Probably the only things I can eat and run on straight afterwards.

Annie get your Run

What do folks here generally eat if doing a session at 7pm, home by 8.20/8.30? Would you eat dinner before you go or wait until you get home? Just trying to find the right balance energy wise and looking for ideas!

event

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071746#Comment_121071746

No, but I do suffer with cramps so might be something I start to take myself

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039945#Comment_121039945

Unless you're getting some injuries or niggling problems, I wouldn't be to concerned about it. Everyone is different tall, small, long legs short legs, etc that's before we talk about what feels natural to YOU.

While there are some studies show a faster cadence can reduce landing force on the joints, (external forces) there's very little evidence to say it reduces injuries over all. For one thing unloading a joint might actually place more stress on the muscles, and tendons (internal forces) so it would be to simplistic to say just increase the cadence to reduce injuries.

I'd suggest that if its not broken don't try to fix it. If you're injury free just enjoy your running.

Here is a very good podcast which covers cadence

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4I9lokekXozo5y8gT05WxG?si=DV-Y0PJATo2QKhNCh6tVrw

The Black Oil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071554#Comment_121071554

Yes. He communicates very well and the class is pretty small too.

Lazare

Has anyone had success mitigating cramping by taking Magnesium?

Taking it daily with Amsterdam marathon in mind and am curious to know if others have had success with it.

RickNally

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043965#Comment_121043965

I recommend pretty much every runner to include some kind of regular speed work in their training. The biomechanical benefits are going to be big boost no matter what distance you're running. Some short hill sprints are a great starting point as they force you into a good high knee raise and faster cadence.

I'd keep an eye on your cadence as a metric, it's important to check in to see if it is actually progressing. But I'd agree with the advice everyone is giving, if you focus on the quality of your running (e.g. running faster paces and improving race times) and add some speed elements to your training, the rest should take care of itself.

RickNally

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121045313#Comment_121045313

Are you working with a trainer for this?

ILikeBoats

You should probably go to a physio now. They would give you a set of exercises which will strengthen whatever it is that is causing the pain, at least then you can do this in tandem with your resting and come back stronger!

Bigmac1euro

Thanks for the replies. Seems to be a lot better today but last night when posting I was in quite a bit of pain.

I think I’m going to just keep resting it as much as possible for a few weeks and go back to running then.

Appreciate the responses. Definitely a weird one! If this thing comes back in a few weeks I’ll be seeing a physio or if it gets worse in the meantime but I’m hoping today is a sign it’s going in the right direction.

event

Yeah thats very hard to answer tbh. Could be a stress fracture, could be a metatarsal, could be muscular

Annie get your Run

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121065190#Comment_121065190

Find yourself a good physio to properly diagnose, it's really the best thing you can do here. Good luck with the new job.