Random Running Questions

Serbian wrote: »

Came here to basically ask something along the lines of this.

To flesh this out a bit, I've been running 5k three times a week for the past couple of months. At the beginning it was all about getting faster and hitting PBs and all that (which is pretty easy when you're coming from nowhere), but thinking about it a little bit more deeply, my motivation is about fitness and weight loss. I'm not training for marathons or anything like that.

I'm at the point now where I'd like to step it up a little bit and put a little bit more structure on what I'm doing. I've recently upped my runs to 4 times a week, the fourth run being 10km+ at a pretty comfortable pace. I've looked around at training plans and the advice, for beginners in particular, feels very inconsistent. I'm not sure when to go fast and when to go slow, what sort of distances should I be aiming for etc etc. I think the fact I'm not aiming for a specific event makes it a bit more ambiguous as it's harder to find a "just get better at running" training plan.

My question is, what things do you wish you knew when you were just starting out? Are there any specific pieces of advice for someone like me with a lack of specific goals?

Serbian, it is a bit tougher when you don't have a goal but you could always follow the plan more or less even if you're not going to race at the end of it. If you're up to 10k and doing it comfortably you'd be mad not to race the distance a couple of times. Would ya think of joining a club? A lot of people think clubs are only for super-serious runners, but that's not true.

As for paces and distances. Keep it simple for the most part. Mostly you should be tipping around and enjoying it. Once or twice a week (once if you're doing a total of 3 or 4 runs) you should think of doing what is known as a 'session' or a 'workout'. There are as many possibilities out there as there are numbers. But if you want to improve (you'll improve with consistent running even if you don't want to!!) you should think about types of workout and change things up every now and then. You'll get stale and plateau if you just keep doing the same thing. Be that 6x1k repeats or 24x200 repeats. I'd advise you to keep your long run easy and just up the distance a little every two weeks. Before you know it you'll be doing 15 or 16km runs. There'll be minor setbacks and weeks you feel $hite. That's fine, roll with it. Sure none of us are aiming for the 2020 Olympics.

So...... try Day 1, easy pace about 6k or whatever, Day 2 some speedwork maybe just Fartlek to begin with, Day 3 easy (again 5 or 6km), Day 4 the longer run also easy pace. After a while, if you stick at it you can start getting fancier. Best of luck.

RayCun wrote: »

I agree with all the advice on slowing down, as general training advice, but I don't think you are running enough for it to have an effect on your iron levels. Plus it usually takes a while for iron levels to deplete, so this could be something that started earlier. If you are trying to lose weight and have changed your diet you might not be getting enough iron in your diet any more.

Cheers. Doc reckons it was viral that caused the weakness as it lasted less than a week but probably exacerbated by diet and overdoing exercise. Blood pressure and physical all normal, bloods back next week.

But, I did head out this evening for my first run since asking advice here and took the pace way down. Had gone on my 3.5km loop, felt like I could have gone far further at the end, but didn’t wanna push it. Ended up with a 6.45 pace and while I broke a sweat and got the heart rate up, I never felt out of breath as before and found the gentler pace very enjoyable.

Many thanks again to all who gave the great advice!

Looking at booking some tune up races before Cork marathon. Doing the P&D55 plan and all the races are scheduled for Sat in the plan with the long run for Sunday

However all the races I'm looking at are on Sunday. Should I just switch it and do the long runs on Saturday? Not ideal

Swashbuckler wrote: »

Definitely not.

Any way you can do the long run on Monday?

One of them is a bank holiday so that week is fine but the other one I'm supposed to do 17 Miles. I might just have to suck it up and do it after work on the Monday

What Username Guidelines wrote: »

But, I did head out this evening for my first run since asking advice here and took the pace way down. Had gone on my 3.5km loop, felt like I could have gone far further at the end, but didn’t wanna push it. Ended up with a 6.45 pace and while I broke a sweat and got the heart rate up, I never felt out of breath as before and found the gentler pace very enjoyable.

Many thanks again to all who gave the great advice!

Just another update, I’ve done a few runs since and they’ve all been worlds apart from before. Previously, I’d finish a run being wiped, and feeling like I could go no further. Now that I’ve eased off the pace and stopped keeping such an eye on the clock, it’s become far more enjoyable. I headed out for a 5k on Wednesday, but this felt very different. Similar to walking, it wasn’t dictated by energy left in the tank, but it was more like “I’ll just run for as long as I feel like”, if that makes sense. I was getting to the end and felt really good, so added an extra loop to make it 7.5k.

I don't know if it's the right time, but I introduced doubles when it was easier to fit in two shortish runs a day than make time for a single longer run. And I wasn't in marathon training so didn't need the stimulus of longer runs in particular.

Sheep1978 wrote: »

any negatives to double runs.?

Laundry!

If you go from 8 miles Monday morning and 8 miles Tuesday morning
to
4 mile Monday am, 4 Monday PM, 4 Tuesday am, 4 Tuesday pm...
then each run is easier but you have less time to recover after each one. Maybe you have to be more careful not to wear yourself out?

And if you are training for longer races, you want to run plenty of 90 minute+, 120 minute+ runs, you can't just run the same mileage in shorter runs.

Lazare wrote: »

Ideal for someone training for 5k then?

Assume keeping it to no more than twice a week is advisable?

Sure, would be fine for 5k training where you don't need any really long runs.

How often? Depends on your overall training. Are you doing doubles to increase your weekly mileage? Then introduce them slowly, to increase the miles slowly. I suppose even if your overall mileage stays the same you should introduce them slowly to see how you adapt. But I run twice most days now.

So current 5km pb is about 19:1x (last summer). Also did a 40:01 10km in the race series. Achieved with no real plan other than try get out 3 or 4 times a week with one long (~15km) and one with some sort of speed (usually parkrun) and 1 or 2 little 5km easies.

Have added a little human to the house over winter so just getting back at it, and did parkrun in 19:45 last week, but would like to get 18:59 (who wouldnt?!). Question is how many km would I realistically need to be doing? Ideally it would be similar weekly mileage to last summer but just smarter or something..

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

https://www.nationalsportscampus.ie/nialive

My questions are am I mad to just jump in at the deep end with no experience or specific training? I've never even used a sprint block before or raced with lanes.
What races would you recommend doing, if any? Do you need spikes and singlets and what are the rules/etiqutte?

The NIALive races are quite relaxed afaik, so they're the perfect place to try sprinting.

You will need to use blocks in the 60m and the 200m, but they're not going to false start you for movement and I'm sure someone will give you a hand setting them up.

I'd do the 200 if you want to sprint, since it is less technical, your start from the blocks will matter less.

You don't need spikes, and you don't need a singlet.

There are usually faster and slower races, so just make sure you're in the slower one

pac_man wrote: »

Does anyone have the dates for these meets? I've looked on the site and can't seem to find them. I won't be able to make the next one but would love to try it out in the future.

This is the last one, in fact it was an extra date added

It's an excellent event , really well run and good atmosphere

RayCun wrote: »

The NIALive races are quite relaxed afaik, so they're the perfect place to try sprinting.

You will need to use blocks in the 60m and the 200m, but they're not going to false start you for movement and I'm sure someone will give you a hand setting them up.

I'd do the 200 if you want to sprint, since it is less technical, your start from the blocks will matter less.

You don't need spikes, and you don't need a singlet.

There are usually faster and slower races, so just make sure you're in the slower one

Thanks for that. Yeah there's no worry of me attempting to run in the faster races.
Im thinking of running the 200m and one of the longer ones, like the mile or 3k, there's about an hour difference in starting times so I should be well recovered from the 200m.

El CabaIIo wrote: »

There's also a really good youtuber called Jaret Campisi who gives a lot of tips on the basics of sprinting(setting up and getting out of blocks, 400 pacing, training tips etc). He was really good athlete in his prime. Alot of his stuff now has nothing to do with athletics but if you type in his name and sprinting, you should find some good stuff.

Thanks, that's exactly what I need so I don't look totally out of place.

I'm planning on giving it a go, I'll report back with how I get on if I do.

pac_man wrote: »

Great, I'll look into that. Do you have to be a member of a club to do them?

Yes, as Ray says. Drogheda and District also put on a summer track series with a more relaxed approach to non-club runners (or so it has been in the past). Keep an eye on their web and facebook pages (and here).

http://www.droghedaanddistrictac.com

Nobody uses it though, everything goes up on the Facebook members page. I guess it's good to have for people thinking of joining and have been googling the club

mr.anonymous wrote: »

What runners would you recommend for a beginner? Just started running (mixed with a good bit of walking) 2/3 times per week on paved surface. I'd like to get better running shoes as the ones I have are a bit hard and blocky. Will probably order online.

(Hope this is the right place for the question.)

Would strongly recommend going into a bricks and mortar store like Amphibian King.

Better value too, by far.

Itziger wrote: »

Folks, do you know when you have a small injury that you feel more when you're walking than running? Let me explain: On Sunday I did a treadmill workout (6x1mile@10k pace) and I seem to have done a bit of damage to my right foot. Outside of the foot, between the small toe and the middle of foot. It's sore to walk on and sore to press with fingers. Thing is though, I jogged a six miler yesterday and it felt ok. Actually less sore than walking or even resting! Today again I can feel it. I rubbed some tiger balm and popped a small dose of Ibuprofen last night.......No change

I'm guessing I should rest up for a day or two and I know the charter says no medical advice..........

Personally I'd run through it until it started hurting when I ran. You probably shouldn't listen to me though :pac:

eyrie wrote: »

Question for anyone doing the MSB 5k on Monday, or indeed general thoughts on Monday races: what do you do about your LSR? This isn't a goal race for me so I'm not tapering but I might do a mini taper or easy day or two before the race just so the legs are a little bit fresher. But missing the long run isn't ideal. Any thoughts?

Could you either bring the LR forward, say to Friday or Saturday or put it off a day or two? A 5k won't do too much damage so you'd be on for a LR - without 'stuff' - a couple of days later.