Random Running Questions

Ososlo wrote: »

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?

I think it's a great thread.

Wouldn't most elite women have very little breast tissue?

Ososlo wrote: »

Actually I have another one that's been bugging me for years. Who exactly was tergat? Was that his real name? Was he a runner or a coach or both? Where is he now? Is he Irish?

Is that Paul Tergat? Great runner. Think Geb broke his heart in an Olympic final?

This is an interesting idea for a thread.

I can't help with any of it to be honest because I'm pretty clueless about running other than sticking one foot in front of the other. I can tell you that I'm definitely working class, as are all my buddies that run. I'm not entirely sure what makes someone middle class but I don't think I know any of them.

ultrapercy wrote: »

my pee turns purple

I noticed this too when eating actual beetroot.

ultrapercy wrote: »

I only drikn it in the 3 wees leading up to big races

So you go a little bit further in the name of improvement and drink your own urine??? :pac::pac:

rom wrote: »

Its best drank cold. Its fine to get used to when cold. Warm its hard to take.

If you juice it yourself its very nice with apple and a little piece of root ginger.

wrstan wrote: »

Sorry for such an elementary question, do you cook the beetroot before you juice it?

Runners World suggests a juice of beetroot, pears, ginger and cucumber:

I juice it raw, I peel it first. Lot of juicing talk going on, mods will be in soon.

conavitzky wrote: »

I was just thinking what is the optimum training mileage for distances ranging from 5k-half marathon. I have been training consistently enough for a year now at around 70-80k/week and have started seeing good returns. There is obviously a bunch of folks on here who are doing serious mileage (KC, Stazza, T-runner being examples) I often wondered where is the break point. Where is the point of diminishing returns from the experience of runners on here? At what point should you introduce double days (or treble days-Stazza ya lunatic take a bow!) At what point does the risk of injury outweigh the possible gains to be made? It is obviously different for everyone. Would be interesting to see what it generally is across the spectrum on Boards.
Another question I have is:
Why do/dont do a marathon - what are the pros and cons? (I have been running a few years now and have only run one half last year 1hr 29mins and swore after that I would never run a marathon. Instead concentrating on getting better at 5-10k. I now have this itch to do one and am unsure what to do. I would love to try one but think the mileage would break me leaving me unable to do any running!)

More is not not always better. You also need to focus on quality. Running mile after mile is going to do little help. P+D says you should only bring in doubles over 70 miles and with my last program I am in agreement. You have more time to recover from 1x10M than 2x5M for example. treble days are simply madness. I am yet to a plan that has given good results that has them. Perhaps if you can sleep the rest of the day but most on here can't do that. I know runners at sub 2:40 standard that do around 50 miles a week. structure is very important on how you run. More miles does not mean faster times always.

Personally after training close to 7 days a week for the last year I am going back to 6 days. Not that I don't want to train 7but I do need recovery and it does help me.

Re a marathon. Its a person thing but many including myself get caught up in the romantic notion of it while at the end of the day its just a distance like no other. Running a marathon while you have not time to develop your speed which most inclining myself has done is a bad idea. It makes reaching full potential harder as you are going from marathon cycle to marathon cycle. Personally I am going to focus on the short stuff for a while now as plodding a marathon is something that does not interest me now.

Chances are you will be that your first marathon if you choose to go that route will be a big learning experience. I suppose many like the big day. People outside of athletics know that its hard when they have not idea what a good 5k time is. There is a bit of that in it. It is not the end all and be all.

conavitzky wrote: »

I was just thinking what is the optimum training mileage for distances ranging from 5k-half marathon. I have been training consistently enough for a year now at around 70-80k/week and have started seeing good returns. There is obviously a bunch of folks on here who are doing serious mileage (KC, Stazza, T-runner being examples) I often wondered where is the break point. Where is the point of diminishing returns from the experience of runners on here? At what point should you introduce double days (or treble days-Stazza ya lunatic take a bow!) At what point does the risk of injury outweigh the possible gains to be made? It is obviously different for everyone. Would be interesting to see what it generally is across the spectrum on Boards.

Max mileage is just that... Max mileage. It is not sustained mileage. While I have peaked at 100mpw, my average over my last two marathon plans has been 80-85 miles per week. But as you correctly pointed out conavitzky, the stimulus required for each runner (and for each distance) is different. For rom's buddy, 50 mpw may be all he ever needs to break 2:40. For me, breaking 2:40 took a lot more miles, but then I may not have been running for as long as rom's buddy (or have the same history of physical activity). Having done it a couple of times now, perhaps I wouldn't need quite the same level of mileage, as those adaptations will still be in place, and maybe 50mpw would be enough?

The 5k plan I'm following also peaked at 100mpw (for just two weeks, during the base building phase) so mileage isn't always tied to race distances in a manner you'd expect. The problem is that trial and error seems to be the only way of determining what the right mileage is for you. Enough that you keep making progress, but not so much that you risk over-training, injury or feeling stale. How's that for a completely non-useful response!

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

It's true that you won't be as prepared for running 5k races as when you are training specifically for a 5k, but there is no reason to believe that you cannot make 5k gains while training for a marathon. The endurance (and speed endurance) gains, definitely lend themselves to the 5k distance also (though obviously you'd be missing some of the sharpness you get from 5k specific training). I'm not in the least trying to persuade you to train for a marathon, by the way, just talking hypothetically. Having spent the last 20.5 weeks training for 5ks, I have a new-found respect for anyone that focusses on the shorter distances and continues to improve. If you find that you begin to stale at the shorter distances though, it would certainly be worth your while trying something different, whether that is targeting even shorter distances, or marathon distances.

As for my own 5k progress, committing to 21 weeks was always a means to an end, and the goal was always to build speed heading into another marathon cycle. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that I might improve my 5k time during the marathon program, as it's a tough progressive plan. Marathon programs shouldn't be about long slow runs, where you lose your sharpness, but rather focussing on specific patterns and efficiencies that allow you to carry speed over a longer distance.

+1 to this.
I've never specifically trained for a 5k (or any shorter distances), but have improved my 5k time by almost 90 seconds in the space of four months off the back of marathon training.

Ososlo wrote: »

- Does anyone else feel that the majority of people posting in this forum are middle-class? Is running more of a middle-class activity?

1. How do you define class? Does a college education make you middle class? Aren't you working class if you have to work for a living?
2. If the majority of people posting on this forum are 'middle class', maybe its because spending a lot of time on a discussion forum talking about your hobby is a middle class thing, not because running is.

LaHaine wrote: »

What causes runners trots? Any known food types that exacerbate it? Anything to avoid?

I have never found a link between what I eat and what is likely to cause digestive problems. I do try to avoid spicy or creamy food in the hours leading up to a run. Coffee is definitely my friend though as it helps to 'get ready' before a run. I always try to evacuate the tubes before heading off (and bring some paper just in case. It saves on gloves and socks. ).

Thanks guys. Sage advice!