THE......Definitive Runner's Thread!

[euronewbie]

Just got through my first 13.1 yesterday, not as bad I was expecting, with only three weeks to get ready for it. I have generally been running 2.5-3 miles 2-3 days a week, did one 8 mile run two weeks ago after my wife informed me she had signed me up for this half marathon. A very hilly course, but a lot of fun, finished at 2:26, knee really started to act up about mile 10 and slowed the pace a lot, not the fastest but a good baseline to beat in the next one.

[thepainter5]

Just got through my first 13.1 yesterday, not as bad I was expecting, with only three weeks to get ready for it. I have generally been running 2.5-3 miles 2-3 days a week, did one 8 mile run two weeks ago after my wife informed me she had signed me up for this half marathon. A very hilly course, but a lot of fun, finished at 2:26, knee really started to act up about mile 10 and slowed the pace a lot, not the fastest but a good baseline to beat in the next one.

Congratulations on your first half. Considering the amount you were running that is a respectable time and as you said a 'baseline' for future half marathon races.




Yesterday was also a half marathon race day for my daughter and I. The race required taking a ferry and while the race started late enough for people to travel the morning of the race, we and many others chose to make a weekend of it and stay over Saturday.

This was the 35th anniversary running of the April Fools Run and it had 475 people running plus a few relay teams. The scenery was beautiful as we ran on roads through a forest as well as a bit by the Pacific ocean. While the elevation was a net drop of 142 meters we had plenty of climbing to contend with, making this a great course.

My daughter has been nursing some injuries (she has Supergirl syndrome - 'over-training') and she was a bit nervous about how her calve would hold up to the distance. I started my morning with a 2 mile warmup before going back to get Nicole and we ran 1/3 mile to the start line where we took a few minutes to stretch. When the race started we actually started off a bit faster than I thought and a hill was the first thing we had to contend with. We ran together for a good 4 miles and then she had to drop back a couple of times to stretch out her calve but she would catch back up again.

As we were running up some hills, we would pass the people who did't like (or didn't train for) hills. Nicole and I were both happy with how the hill climbing actually went well and the declines were also fun as we just stretched our legs and let gravity do the work. We had a couple of nice downhill stretches but we were both waiting to see the longest climb we needed to do that for the most part wasn't too steep but it lasted almost 2 miles.

As we came over the top of that hill we knew that we were now 2.5 miles from the finish line and the sun was now shining. At 1.5 miles out Nicole started to pull ahead of me just a bit and then it was a bit farther. We have raced together several time but I was never this close to her closing in to the finish line. I was pushing myself and I would have loved to challege her as I wasn't slowing, she was just picking up speed. As the distance grew a step at a time I was still happy running my pace and as we came to the finish line I was 40 seconds behind her. No I didn't beat her this time but just winning isn't my goal, it is beating her PB which she didn't run yesterday. I did how ever make my pre race estimate so it was a good race.

The fun part is that she knows that I am closing ground on her and that she needs to train smart and prevent more time off because of injuries. As for me not winning this race with her, I am fine with that because she got running from my example and she finishes a race the very way that I taught her, saving something so that if someone passes her near the finish, that person needs to be really working for it, even if it's her Dad. The good thing about yesterdays race is that I shaved 3 minutes off of my race 3 weeks ago and this was a more challenging course. I was also just 1 minute longer than my PB time for the half which I ran 10 years ago.

After the race we headed back to our room to shower/change/checkout and at the checkout there was a woman there who had also done the race. I told her that "my wife says that after running a half/full marathon that you get to where your medal all day". The lady smile and said 'she told me that to" and then she pulled her medal out from under her race shirt. From there we went to lunch and it was really cool seeing all of these runners, in the restaurant, wearing their medals. When we boarded the ferry there were plenty more racers wearing their medals and we had some people wondering what this was all about until they read our souvenir race shirts.

This was my last half marathon race until after my first full marathon which is now 34 days away. I have 3 more weeks of crazy mileage before starting my pre-race taper. After that race I am going to focus more on speed training as I will be racing Nicole again this June on the course where I ran my best time 10 years ago. This is also the couse where she ran her first 13.1 ever (training or race) and she put 16 minutes on me that day, just from the 6 mile marker. Because Nicole lives far away we only get to race a couple of times a year and race prep/planning are needed if I am ever going to be able to beat her in a race. The good thing is that she also got the 'stubborn' from me too.

[ejthomp]

The race required taking a ferry and while the race started late enough for people to travel the morning of the race, we and many others chose to make a weekend of it and stay over Saturday.

This was the 35th anniversary running of the April Fools Run and it had 475 people running plus a few relay teams. The scenery was beautiful as we ran on roads through a forest as well as a bit by the Pacific ocean. While the elevation was a net drop of 142 meters we had plenty of climbing to contend with, making this a great course.

Sounds like a very scenic run. Where was it?

[thepainter5]

Sounds like a very scenic run. Where was it?

It started at Gibsons and went to Sechelt. We enjoyed it so much that we may make this a regular thing in the years to come. The sunshine coming out really helped the scenery as two hours before race time it was windy and pouring rain. By race time the wind settled down and not a drop of rain fell during the race.

[Brasmonky]

shinsplints are killing me... wtf do I do???? This is the only running thread I could find to ask. I didn't run yesterday, then ran today on the treadmill and could hardly do 3 miles because my shins hurt so bad. I'm not even tired at 3 miles, but my legs just start killing me. I'm guessing it's already been discussed somewhere in this thread too...

[E_P_C]

shinsplints are killing me... wtf do I do???? This is the only running thread I could find to ask. I didn't run yesterday, then ran today on the treadmill and could hardly do 3 miles because my shins hurt so bad. I'm not even tired at 3 miles, but my legs just start killing me. I'm guessing it's already been discussed somewhere in this thread too...

fix technique, new shoes, ice/rest/stretching, all could help

[BC02]

shinsplints are killing me... wtf do I do???? This is the only running thread I could find to ask. I didn't run yesterday, then ran today on the treadmill and could hardly do 3 miles because my shins hurt so bad. I'm not even tired at 3 miles, but my legs just start killing me. I'm guessing it's already been discussed somewhere in this thread too...

Go to a running specialty store and have one of the workers watch you run,and suggest shoes for you. You might not have the right type of shoe for the way you run biomechanically.

[Brasmonky]

fix technique, new shoes, ice/rest/stretching, all could help

I just bought new shoes. How do I fix my technique? How do I know my technique is wrong?

[E_P_C]

I just bought new shoes. How do I fix my technique? How do I know my technique is wrong?

i dont really wanna give you bad advice but you should check out stuff on runners world everything you need to know can be found on there but basically there are few things you should be able to notice about your form and shin splints are most likely the result of improper footwear, unless you are doing an excessive amount of running

[vcackerman]

I just bought new shoes. How do I fix my technique? How do I know my technique is wrong?

I can only speak from personal experience. When I suffered from shin splints, there was two things that triggered them. 1) Getting my miles up too fast - going from 1-2 miles 3x a week to suddenly trying to 3 miles 3x a week. You should look to increase mileage by 10-15% a week. 2) Heel striking - When I focused on form, I never saw shin splints again - being a larger guy, landing on the heels put alot of pressure on my shins. When I focused on midfoot striking suddenly the splints went away.

[vcackerman]

What's everyone got cooking this weekend? Short run today (3-4) and a long one tomorrow (8-9). Half is in 4 weeks - need to get a couple of tens in before then.

[thepainter5]

What's everyone got cooking this weekend? Short run today (3-4) and a long one tomorrow (8-9). Half is in 4 weeks - need to get a couple of tens in before then.

My daughter and I ran 10 km this morning and it was a good run as I managed to run at 9:01/ mile so just a hair off off running all 6.2 miles in the 8's with my best mile being #6 at 8:16/mile.
Tomorrow I will run somewhere between 4-8 miles, slower pace as Sunday is my long run which I plan to do 24 miles. My daughter will run some of that with me but I need to plan a route so she can head back when she's had enough as she isn't prepping for a marathon (mine is 4 weeks tomorrow).

My daughter lives a long way from me so just being able to run/race with her is a treat for both of us and she is coming back in June to race me again.

[karoline8]

Just got through my first 13.1 yesterday, not as bad I was expecting, with only three weeks to get ready for it. I have generally been running 2.5-3 miles 2-3 days a week, did one 8 mile run two weeks ago after my wife informed me she had signed me up for this half marathon. A very hilly course, but a lot of fun, finished at 2:26, knee really started to act up about mile 10 and slowed the pace a lot, not the fastest but a good baseline to beat in the next one.

Not a bad time at all...comgradulations

[mlandis]

10 miles today. Last long run before next weekends Tough Mudder

[vcackerman]

Great job everyone - little over 8 miles today in 90 minutes. Blocked off the time over lunch. Feel really good - will foam roll tonight and do yoga in the morning. My goal pace for the half is in the 10:30 range - today was right in the 45 seconds easy run pace I wanted to be.

[JRT6]

I totally retract everything I said about big guys not being able to road run in miminalist shoes. I just ordered a pair of Merril Trail Gloves to go with my NB 20's because I can't stand even walking in cushioned shoes now. Yeah they're soft but I feel unstable in them and that is somewhat discerning.

[karoline8]

Hey there everyone. Do any of you have any tips on how to sustain energy levels throughout a marathon...it seems like when I hit the 90 min mark into a run my energy level drops to almost zero. I was 24k into my 37k run yesturday and had to stop to eat. I did finish the run in 3:03 but felt it would have been better if I could have kept my energy level up a bit more. My 50k in comming up in just a few weeks so I guess this doesn`t leave me much time to figure things out. This Sunday I do 1 more long run before the event so this will give me another chance to expirament a bit with my food intake to try to keep my energy up.

[thepainter5]

Hey there everyone. Do any of you have any tips on how to sustain energy levels throughout a marathon...This Sunday I do 1 more long run before the event so this will give me another chance to expirament a bit with my food intake to try to keep my energy up.

I personally run wearing a CamelBak that holds a mix of water and GU Brew which is a combination of electrolytes and carbs. I find that sipping from it regularly helps keep my energy levels up. I actually time my drinking on the downhills in preparation for the upcoming hill. As I stand in the start chute I also eat some GU Chomps and this system works well for me.

On top of that I also start eating lasanga 2 days before the long runs so that I have plenty of energy waiting to be burned. My daughter freaks at my carb/calorie intake but I have been shaving minutes off of each half marathon this year. I personally can't eat while running and I can't bring myself to stop during a race so all of my planning is what I can eat before hand as well as my hydration. I start my morning off with a big bowl of cooked oats/raisins/honey and 30 minutes prior to start time I eat an apple or banana and drink my BCAA mix with a small scoop of GU just for good measure.

I hope your training run goes well this weekend and good luck on your race.

[vcackerman]

Hey there everyone. Do any of you have any tips on how to sustain energy levels throughout a marathon...it seems like when I hit the 90 min mark into a run my energy level drops to almost zero. I was 24k into my 37k run yesturday and had to stop to eat. I did finish the run in 3:03 but felt it would have been better if I could have kept my energy level up a bit more. My 50k in comming up in just a few weeks so I guess this doesn`t leave me much time to figure things out. This Sunday I do 1 more long run before the event so this will give me another chance to expirament a bit with my food intake to try to keep my energy up.

How are you fueling during the run? I'm not as fast and I'm much bigger than you but I use GU packets about every 4-6 miles depending on the heat and how well I fueled going into it. Also, I will stop at every stop along the way.

[karoline8]

Thanks for the tips I guess I`ve been getting a bit lazy lately and only drinking water for the first half of my runs than I`ll alternated between water/gatoraide or juice....I am probably too drained by the time I start refueling to keep the energy level I`d like..I stopped taking in as much sugar on my runs as I was having GI issues on the long runs, when I cut back the problems stopped too. This weekend I`ll be doing a 43k run and will make sure to refuel better, maybe cutting my carby drinks down to half with water may keep me from having issues...this is the last long run before the race so I will definetly have to get this figured out quick...lol..

[vcackerman]

Thanks for the tips I guess I`ve been getting a bit lazy lately and only drinking water for the first half of my runs than I`ll alternated between water/gatoraide or juice....I am probably too drained by the time I start refueling to keep the energy level I`d like..I stopped taking in as much sugar on my runs as I was having GI issues on the long runs, when I cut back the problems stopped too. This weekend I`ll be doing a 43k run and will make sure to refuel better, maybe cutting my carby drinks down to half with water may keep me from having issues...this is the last long run before the race so I will definetly have to get this figured out quick...lol..

Have you tried electrlyte tabs like Nuun (if they are sold there)? Not much sugar but filled with electrolytes that can help.

Also, if you feel like you are losing energy, it's too late to fuel in essence. You have to stay up on it before you get that low feeling.

[karoline8]

Have you tried electrlyte tabs like Nuun (if they are sold there)? Not much sugar but filled with electrolytes that can help.

Also, if you feel like you are losing energy, it's too late to fuel in essence. You have to stay up on it before you get that low feeling.

...I agree, I`ll make sure to keep a constant flow of carbs(even if it is going to be just watered down juice) going my next run...I have to say though, the bear-claw strudel pastry I had 3/4 of the way into my last long run did seem to help me out though...lol...thankfully the 50k I`m doing next month is a figure 8 course so I`ll have easy access to gear and such, so if I need to stop and grab a bite or drink it`ll be easy to do so...now I guess my only worry will be deer ticks(and we have alot this year), I love the idea of a trail race but forgot to consider the critters when I signed up

[daviddaug]

Hi everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. I have been a runner in the past but have not done any organized training or even ran a 5K in quite a while. I am hoping to change that in 2012. I thought getting hooked up with other runners would be a great start. So far this year my son and I have been doing short runs a couple times a week, all under 2 miles. Today we went the full two miles for the first time. We are building up to 5 miles in the 50 - 55 minute range. This morning our two miles were in 21:13. We are training for a 3.2 mile Warrior Dash in mid June. I am thinking with the obstacles the time is going to stretch longer then a normal 5k and put more strain on the body. That is why we are targeting the 50 - 55 minute mark for training runs.

If anyone has done a Warrior Dash and has any advise we will take it, this will be our first.

[vcackerman]

...I agree, I`ll make sure to keep a constant flow of carbs(even if it is going to be just watered down juice) going my next run...I have to say though, the bear-claw strudel pastry I had 3/4 of the way into my last long run did seem to help me out though...lol...thankfully the 50k I`m doing next month is a figure 8 course so I`ll have easy access to gear and such, so if I need to stop and grab a bite or drink it`ll be easy to do so...now I guess my only worry will be deer ticks(and we have alot this year), I love the idea of a trail race but forgot to consider the critters when I signed up

And with a 50K, you definitely want to stay on top of it - I think this way, on my 10 mile run the other night, Garmin told me I burned 1800 calories - you need to do something to keep replenishing.

You got a plan and stick to it!

[JRT6]

There is so much down time at the WD because of backups at the obstacles you probably won't be challenged in that regard. I would keep up your program anyway and ensure that your cardio won't be an issue.

[BC02]

Hi everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. I have been a runner in the past but have not done any organized training or even ran a 5K in quite a while. I am hoping to change that in 2012. I thought getting hooked up with other runners would be a great start. So far this year my son and I have been doing short runs a couple times a week, all under 2 miles. Today we went the full two miles for the first time. We are building up to 5 miles in the 50 - 55 minute range. This morning our two miles were in 21:13. We are training for a 3.2 mile Warrior Dash in mid June. I am thinking with the obstacles the time is going to stretch longer then a normal 5k and put more strain on the body. That is why we are targeting the 50 - 55 minute mark for training runs.

If anyone has done a Warrior Dash and has any advise we will take it, this will be our first.

Concentrate on the running part and dont worry about the obstacles

[vcackerman]

So hey, how's it going?

[JRT6]

I'm doing between 5.6 -6.4 miles a run right now. I would like to get up to about 6-8 miles then drop to two run days a week.

[vcackerman]

I'm doing between 5.6 -6.4 miles a run right now. I would like to get up to about 6-8 miles then drop to two run days a week.

Sounds like you are already there. How many times a week are you running now?

DId 10.1 last night in 1:56 - steady pace throughout.

[JRT6]

5 or 5 but it's too much.