Random Running Questions

jaggiebunnet wrote: »

does anyone have recommendations for sunscreen? currently on a 35 day streak of running (praise be the running gods) but i am thinking with the weather getting better and even if it is not, i should be wearing sunscreen more often. The usual stuff just runs into my eyes so anything that might be a bit more sweat proof?

Yeah, but probably not what you would expect...here

jaggiebunnet wrote: »

does anyone have recommendations for sunscreen? currently on a 35 day streak of running (praise be the running gods) but i am thinking with the weather getting better and even if it is not, i should be wearing sunscreen more often. The usual stuff just runs into my eyes so anything that might be a bit more sweat proof?

What time of the day do you run at?
Why do you say "but i am thinking with the weather getting better and even if it is not, i should be wearing sunscreen more often."

Unless you are running at a time that the UV is high then you don't need suncream.

Much more beneficial to get some vitD, suncream inhibit this

pansophelia wrote: »

I'm as pale as pale can be - despite efforts in my youth to get my freckles to join up:). I use P20 and find it great - but the main tip for not getting into your eyes is a bit of vaseline in your eyebrows.

I shall look hot! :P

MisterJinx wrote: »

So a breathing question.

I never learnt to breath properly when running, it was always an issue as a kid when I ran. I now know about deep belly breathing and try to work that into some of my LR's especially if I want my heart rate to come down but i'm essentially a shallow top of the lung breather and years and years of smoking have reinforced this.

I can mange this for LR's and tempo to an extent but once I start to pick up any speed I basically start to hyperventilate and have to slow down. The legs have loads more to give but this is holding back any speed work I do or that I need twice the rest between reps in order to catch my breath back up. I've considered some yoga for deep breathing practice but it not a question of not knowing what to do it being able to actually do it while under stress/speed as it's an instinctive reaction

Does anyone have any ideas on how to correct this or video pointers? More speed work but dialled back a bit and concentrating on the breathing? More Vo2Max sessions to increase lung capacity?

I'd highly recommend getting the book "The Oxygen Advantage" by Patrick McKeown.
It will give you a far better idea of how to breathe than anyone on here can give you in a single post.
There's a lot more to it than, belly breathing (which is not ideal) but the book will explain it a lot better.

MisterJinx wrote: »

There is a lot more to it alright. Doing some reading and watched a few video's, it's an interesting concept. Initial thoughts are that I would certainly have a low tolerance to CO2.

Yea there's certainly a lot to it alright. Whether you delve deep into it or not is up to yourself.
I'd advise you to nasal breathe for your everyday activities and while asleep if don't do so already. I would say that Nasal breathing while exercising is hard to do.
I'd also try to breathe into your ribcage and not just your belly. This will help to create intra abdominal pressure and help with core stability.
This can be initially done as a separate. exercise before making it your normal breathing.

cullenswood wrote: »

I'm going to pace a mate around to a "virtual" marathon at the end of October to a time that is approx 30min slower than my own marathon time. I'll obviously still have to put in the marathon training for this but was wondering how I should approach this. Should I work out my training paces from the slower time, or bang away with my own paces and be potentially comfortably training for the time?

If you want to follow a marathon training plan then train according to your own pace, otherwise you're just wasting your time.

Having said that, as long as you're not planning to do a "proper" marathon yourself and this is only to pace your mate, I would just do base training instead of following a full marathon build-up.

Either way, running a marathon 30 minutes slower than you're capable of should not be difficult, whichever approach you take. It will just be a nice, long training run for yourself.

It's a nice thing to so, though. Well done for volunteering!

Hi. I hated running. Really hated it. Anything that didn't involve a ball wasn't for me.

But it seems I now like running. Now that I'm stuck working at home in the same place every day, I'm really enjoying throwing my shorts on and getting out for a blast (or, more accurately, a trot) at the end of the day. I have no goal in mind. None whatsoever.

I've found myself doing an up-and-down-hill 5k circuit a few times a week and another couple of easy flat 5ks too. Sometimes I go fast, other times slow. I experimented running barefoot. Absolutely fascinating experience. Did three 4ks like this. In total I reckon I've logged around 190km in my first 7 weeks of being "a runner". I think it's sticking. It's good for my body, and it's good for my head.

One small thing, and it seems weird, but I'm finding that I'm not comfortable running in big thick cushioned running shoes. Feels like I'm wallowing in mud, almost as if I'm unstable (hard to describe). I'm 41, and I'm not coming from a running background. I played football and rugby (then tag rugby) for years so never had a stacked up sole or heel. I've a few different pairs of running shoes now (yes I've been using various manufacturers' trial offers) and my feet definitely like the low-soled** ones. Is it odd that I prefer feeling closer to the ground? Am I missing something about the big cushiony* ones; is it something I should try to get used to?

Edit to add...
*"big cushiony ones": e.g. Brooks Ghost https://www.brooksrunning.com/en_ie/ghost-12-mens-road-running-shoe/1103161B018.130.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI76Oz_OKV6gIVAbp3Ch1htQwtEAQYAiABEgJTCPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

**"low-soled ones": e.g. Asics Tartheredge https://www.asics.com/ie/en-ie/tartheredge/p/1011A544-100.html?size=10&width=Standard

Suggestions for good pre race meal/snack for an afternoon 5k or 3k track race

Was clearing out a press at home and found a box of SIS gels I forgot I had. Best before November 2019.
Would they still be ok to take do ye reckon?

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I've eaten out-of-date gels on several occasions, usually because I use them so rarely that they tend to get old in my cupboard, and never noticed the slightest bit of difference. It's just sugar, really, so what's there to go off?

Those things could survive a trip to Mars and back. Ignore the "best before" guidance. The packaging can get a little frayed, but otherwise I've similarly had no problem necking ancient gels.

FinnC wrote: »

Was clearing out a press at home and found a box of SIS gels I forgot I had. Best before November 2019.
Would they still be ok to take do ye reckon?

I would agree that at almost a billion percent sugar, it would be questionable if they would ever go off.
I have used out of date ones before, as i use them only really when doing marathons....what i have found is some sort of solidify a bit? or arent as smooth as they once were?

Might be worth checking them, you can sort of feel it in the packet. If you squish it about a bit it seems to make it better and more palatable. They can be hard enough to stomach at best of times rather than trying to figure out if you have eaten half the packaging by accident while running!

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

But no supplement will be anywhere near as good as having a proper diet.

+ 1,000,000

That's really the key takeaway to pretty much every nutrition/food discussion. Eat quality foods.

Unless your aiming for a race I'd keep it mixed. 5k specific can be taxing. So mainly 10km stuff, thrown in the odd 5km session every three weeks or so to keep the pop in the legs. You could do the odd longer 10mile/ half session too to keep the endurance up.

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

How do ye warmup for a run when you have to travel to the destination? Usually I do my runs quite close to home so would be able to start running within about 5 minutes of completing the warmup. Obviously this wouldn't work if I have to drive 20/30 minutes to where I'm going as the muscles would have cooled down. I usually do a kind of dynamic warmup, complete with jumping jacks, skipping rope etc. and I'd feel a bit silly doing that at the side of some road by my car :pac: Any recommendations?

Put on running gear.
Put on runners.
Ensure garmin, strava etc is engaged.
Simultaneously start watch and running.
Start slower than intended training pace.

Job done

The idea that you have to do jumping Jack's, skip etc before you run is cock.
You are just as likely to get injury doing any of them as you are to start jogging slowly.
If you feel that you haven't loosened out properly after a few minutes, then do a few strides this will help to get you going.

Agree 100%. Do the first mile at a very easy effort. That's all the warm up you need.

Also, jumping jacks on cold muscles is an injury waiting to happen.