The Running thread

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Well done @____no5

 

[DJMayes]

Some updates:

- Running mileage has stayed around 30-35 km/week for a while now. Very busy workwise, so I just haven't had the time to increase it.
- Parkrun times have improved a little; with a recent course PB of 25:47 yesterday (Down from ~26:20 last time I posted it here). My all time parkrun PB is around 24:30 on an easier course, so I'm getting closer to where I was.
- VO2 max is now 42, according to my watch, after starting at 34. That increase takes it from bottom 15% to bottom 45%, and the watch now displays it as "Fair" instead of "Poor". It's nice to be about average!
- A friend dropped out of the Cambridge Half Marathon in March and transferred me their place, so I now have a race I am building towards.

 

[GhostofCain]

This morning I went for my last run before the festive break: 5.84 km in 25 minutes.

I will probably run a bit during the holidays to compensate for the eating and drinking. Otherwise, getting back into shape in January will be much harder.

 

[____no5]

I'm slowly recovering from the Marathon. It's not that much the race itself but the huge devotion and focus I put during my training.
Since the marathon I'm playing catch up with my work -when you dedicate 3 -5 hours daily to run for 3 months there is some catch up to do later. This, plus the recovery that my body and mind needed made me run less, more precisely I've run 99km in 3 weeks something that would take me 9 days otherwise.

First day after the marathon I could not run, only walk. For the rest of the week I did only recovery runs.
Second week I only run two times as I was super busy with work involving late dinners and drinking with clients.
Third week also 2 runs as I got sick and when I recovered it was -4 with wind so I thought I should protect myself.

I started doing treadmill, the gym is an elevator away from my door which saves me some time and protects me from the cold. Tomorrow weather forecast is a windy -5 again so I guess I'll be running on the treadmill again.

I'm following the development of new shoes, Saucony Triumph 22 is definitely on my wish list for recovery shoe and will wait the new ASICS Metaspeed Sky on March. Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 seems also promising but I didn't had the opportunity to try it yet.
I'm still in love with ASICS Superblast and tried the Novablast 4 it was a ...blast!
Other shoes on my wish-list are the Brooks Ghost Max @GhostofCain super beautiful and Cloud Eclipse by ON. Though I avoid to buy overlapping shoes (for the same purpose) so it's certain not everyone of them will make it in my shelves.

Below my current gear:

 

[DJMayes]

I'm slowly recovering from the Marathon. It's not that much the race itself but the huge devotion and focus I put during my training.
Since the marathon I'm playing catch up with my work -when you dedicate 3 -5 hours daily to run for 3 months there is some catch up to do later. This, plus the recovery that my body and mind needed made me run less, more precisely I've run 99km in 3 weeks something that would take me 9 days otherwise.

First day after the marathon I could not run, only walk. For the rest of the week I did only recovery runs.
Second week I only run two times as I was super busy with work involving late dinners and drinking with clients.
Third week also 2 runs as I got sick and when I recovered it was -4 with wind so I thought I should protect myself.

I started doing treadmill, the gym is an elevator away from my door which saves me some time and protects me from the cold. Tomorrow weather forecast is a windy -5 again so I guess I'll be running on the treadmill again.

I'm following the development of new shoes, Saucony Triumph 22 is definitely on my wish list for recovery shoe and will wait the new ASICS Metaspeed Sky on March. Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 seems also promising but I didn't had the opportunity to try it yet.
I'm still in love with ASICS Superblast and tried the Novablast 4 it was a ...blast!
Other shoes on my wish-list are the Brooks Ghost Max @GhostofCain super beautiful and Cloud Eclipse by ON. Though I avoid to buy overlapping shoes (for the same purpose) so it's certain not everyone of them will make it in my shelves.

Below my current gear:

View attachment 32492

This many different sets of shoes scares me! I only have one pair at a time (Mizuno WaveInspire 19 currently) and tend to just use them for every single run until they are worn out.

 

[____no5]

There’s nothing wrong with that, actually you can avoid injuries by running just in one shoe.

I was doing the same for sometime but when my training became more precise I saw the value and the fun of using different shoes for different runs.

And, in my case, they aren’t that many: Easy, Intervals, Long & Recovery. One responsive, light & fun to run shoe for first two and one max cushioned and plush shoe for the last two.
Your shoes fall in the first category which is spot on choice, as I understand you mainly do easy (zone 2) and tempo (zone 3) runs.

 

[DJMayes]

There’s nothing wrong with that, actually you can avoid injuries by running just in one shoe.

I was doing the same for sometime but when my training became more precise I saw the value and the fun of using different shoes for different runs.

And, in my case, they aren’t that many: Easy, Intervals, Long & Recovery. One responsive, light & fun to run shoe for first two and one max cushioned and plush shoe for the last two.
Your shoes fall in the first category which is spot on choice, as I understand you mainly do easy (zone 2) and tempo (zone 3) runs.

I do some easy longer runs too (especially as I am transitioning into half marathon training for the next two months) - I basically just don't do intervals or speedwork.

 

[____no5]

Wow, great news! Are you following some programme /coach?
And are you targeting any specific time?

 

[GhostofCain]

There’s nothing wrong with that, actually you can avoid injuries by running just in one shoe.

Only if you are an amputee!

I usually wear 2 shoes.

 

[DJMayes]

Wow, great news! Are you following some programme /coach?
And are you targeting any specific time?

No plan as of yet! I've got 8 or 9 weeks to work with and have been consistently doing 30km a week for a while with a peak distance of 15km in a single run.

I put a time of 2:20 as a placeholder during signup, and my main goal is to finish as this is the race I injured myself in earlier this year.

 

[____no5]

My paces by end June 2023 and validated as per recent marathon. Not big difference, as per table I had something left in the tank (and I had)

30 June 2023------------------------------------->Now validated from 26 November 2023

 

[DJMayes]

Parkrun was cancelled today, so I did a long run which I ended up extending to my first half marathon since February - 2:13:16, with a couple of minutes stoppage on top of that for traffic. I had signed up to Cambridge with a provisional time of 2:20:00 so I'm very happy!

 

[____no5]

Parkrun was cancelled today, so I did a long run which I ended up extending to my first half marathon since February - 2:13:16, with a couple of minutes stoppage on top of that for traffic.

What was your average heart rate? If it falls inside your HR zone 2, you got a sub 2 hours half marathon in the pocket, provided you don't break your training and you stayed hydrated and fuelled during the race!

On shoes department, I decided to buy a second pair of ASICS Superblast, since they are the best shoes I've ever had plus quite beautiful, too. So I ordered a pair of red and a purple to choose the best looking one.

Well guess what. I'm keeping them both



PS: In the meantime, except being versatile, protective, lightweight and beautiful they are extremely durable midsole -wise, my current pair at almost 700km on, they show no sign of degradation, I'm pretty confident they will last up to 1000km.

 

[DJMayes]

What was your average heart rate? If it falls inside your HR zone 2, you got a sub 2 hours half marathon in the pocket, provided you don't break your training and you stayed hydrated and fuelled during the race!

158, which falls near the top end of Garmin's zone 3 (aerobic).

 

[____no5]

158, which falls near the top end of Garmin's zone 3 (aerobic).

Then it’s not granted, yet quite achievable, thus keep an eye in your long runs.
My advice (actually the approach of my coach) is to do your Sunday long runs all within your zone 2. This does not mean that in any instance the HR should not to surpass that, but your average HR in the end to be inside the zone 2.

In your case you absolutely need not do any long run further than 18k which should be your longest run before the tapering either 2 or 3 weeks before the race.
So just monitor your long runs and you'll see that progressively you'll be faster so the same HR. Take a look here for instance.
And remember, long run is not a race assimilator, just keep them easy, the sole purpose of long runs is to teach body to burn fat.

I recently came across an interview with the physician who invented the Heart Rate Training, Dr. Maffetone, take a look if you have time, quite interesting

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET6w8SLzlnY&list=LL&index=2&t=2345s

 

[DJMayes]

Then it’s not granted, yet quite achievable, thus keep an eye in your long runs.
My advice (actually the approach of my coach) is to do your Sunday long runs all within your zone 2. This does not mean that in any instance the HR should not to surpass that, but your average HR in the end to be inside the zone 2.

This is easier said than done; I can just about do a 5K in zone 2 (120-140 according to my garmin) if I drop my pace to nearly 8:00/km but even then I live on a hill and my heart rate is all over the place because of it.

 

[____no5]

But in the park it's flat no? Where you do your long runs?

 

[DJMayes]

But in the park it's flat no? Where you do your long runs?

The park is flooded at the minute (and has been very muddy for a while) so most of my long runs are just jogging to a nearby town and back alongside the road.

 

[Spambot]

So, one of the New Years resolution was to start running again. And I did. After 5 years.
So far, I had four runs, 4km each, but to keep myself committed, I applied for a marathon (which I never run).
Good thing is that it's in October, so I guess I'll prepare myself until then and I guess if I keep on running for the next 10 months it may become a permanent habit again.

 

[GhostofCain]

I take my hat off to those of you running marathons or half-marathons!

So far I have managed three runs this year, 5 km each in a little less than 22 minutes.