The Running Thread - 2016

[charndog]

Congrats on starting to run!! That is oftentimes the hardest part.

Concerning training, I would stick with the C25k program as your first training cycle since you are just starting out. Then, based on how that goes, you can add days/mileage (very gradually) for your next training cycle. The worst thing is to start enjoying running and then immediately getting injured, so starting out slowly will help prevent this.

Many of us that have Garmin watches use Garmin Connect to track our miles. Strava is also a great website to track mileage, plus there is a DISboards Community on Strava.

On heal striking, I would start by going with what feels natural to you. But, if you really feel that you are reaching too far forward with your feet when you are running, then you may want to think about pushing back with each foot right as it hits the ground. This is a good mental way to prevent too extreme of a heal strike.

Thank you! I appreciate your insights. I definitely want to stay healthy and prevent injury.

 

[keahgirl8]

Hello!

I am a new runner, started C25K last week. I booked our first Disney cruise and my friend said I should do the Castaway Cay 5K. I have no experience running, so this is all new. Disney is my best motivator! So I am very excited. I was nervous to share this new idea with family, thought they would laugh! My DH decided to start running too!

I am trying to read back on the threads and also do searches. There is so much to learn. I was fitted locally and have proper shoes.

As I am beginning, is it correct to only run the three days a week, following the program? The other days, is it good to do non-running like elliptical, DVD workouts, and walking? I have the desire to do more. I also want to prevent injury.

Also, do some people use more than one app to track miles? For example, C25K tracks, but if I do a fourth run during a week, it has to erase one so the total miles are not accurate.

It is also confusing about developing the right run. I watched some videos about not heel striking. It should be midfoot. Then today I felt like I was reaching out with my toes. It felt unnatural.

Any insights and feedback are appreciated! Thank you!

I know a lot of people run more than that, but I have only ever run 3 days a week. I follow the Galloway method and that is what he does. It has always adequately prepared me for a race. On the other day, I cross train. This can be walking, elliptical, or bike combined with strength training. I also mix some yoga in. I usually do some sort of exercise 5-6 days a week and either rest, light walking, or gentle stretching on the other days.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

@charndog - Stick with the 3 days/week until you complete the program. Feel free to walk on other days, but only if you have been walking leading into the c25k program. I have helped many friends and relatives start their running, and I always start this way because it is the most safe. You will gain more benefit from extending your longest run than you will by running on back-to-back days when you are new to the sport, but only extend that run when you have done the work to get you prepared.

And don't forget - have fun with this. You are giving up time in your life that you will never get back for these runs. Make it worth it.

 

[keahgirl8]

If you want to run more after you finish program, you can, but it's not only something beginners do.

 

[Miranda]

I also have only ever trained 3 days a week for all my races, even the half marathons. I did Galloway's programs last year for Tink and W&D halfs, I half-***ed one of the Higdon novice programs and removed one of the days of running for my spring ones, and right now I am following Higdon's new HM3 plan which is specifically a 3 day a week only program.

 

[charndog]

Thank you for the replies. I didn't realize that even at higher levels of running and training, even for marathons, that people only ran three days a week. It makes sense.

 

[jele30]

ATTQOTD: If I had the data from all of my beginning runs over the years it wouldn't really paint a true picture. It wouldn't show a woman who decided to go out for a 3 mile run after a 6 month to year long hiatus (or more in some cases) that thought she could still train like her high school days (i.e. take three months off between cross country and track and beat the body back in shape). That run might look ok pace and distance, but wouldn't cover the burn in the lungs and the sore for days after . This time it is better as started out doing intervals and it has been great. While I'm technically not up to 5k yet as have two weeks of the C25K app, I learned something by doing two 5ks with my 9 year old daughter.

The first one was a few weeks ago and it was hot. She had not run one and wanted to do the Packer 5k as you get to circle the field in the stadium. We did walk/run intervals (wasn't really worried about the distance as daughter hadn't trained for it and figured we would be doing a lot of walking). It was hot and she didn't really start to get comfortable until the last 1.5 miles. We finished 42:12. It felt easy and was nice to be able to share the experience with her. This past Friday night we did a night time 5k. She did great and wanted to keep running. Water stop was at the 2 mile mark, so we walked a little there for her to get the water. We did a few mini walk breaks after that for maybe a quarter to half a mile and she was ready to go again. She sprinted to the end and finished 40:58 and I was at 41:02. I was expecting our time to be faster as we had run most of it vs. our previous run, but learned that I could do intervals and have similar results. The run felt easy, but as someone that was new to the whole interval thing had no personal experience with it. Not sure I'm ready to convert (been nice to ease into the running again), but a useful learning experience nevertheless!!

 

[2Tiggies]

Thank you for the replies. I didn't realize that even at higher levels of running and training, even for marathons, that people only ran three days a week. It makes sense.

For many people who hold down jobs and have demands on their time by family obligations it is hard to squeeze in more than 3 days a week. It's pretty common and a good 3 day week training plan will prepare you just as well as some of the 6 days per week plans. Happy running

 

[keahgirl8]

For many people who hold down jobs and have demands on their time by family obligations it is hard to squeeze in more than 3 days a week. It's pretty common and a good 3 day week training plan will prepare you just as well as some of the 6 days per week plans. Happy running

Exactly. Also, I really believe cross training is important and if I am running 6 days a week, I'm not cross training.

 

[2Tiggies]

Exactly. Also, I really believe cross training is important and if I am running 6 days a week, I'm not cross training.

So true. I am fortunate enough to work from home now so I have more flexibility than I would have done if I had been running when working for an employer. That said, running six days a week still means getting up at 5:15 am Sunday through Friday and the the strength workouts have to be jammed in somewhere between the demands of the day. There is no way on this earth I could have even tried to make the time if I was still working outside of home. It's just not possible. The way I see it, we all do what our time and schedules allow us and that makes us all runners, invested in our goals - whatever they may be. It doesn't make anyone better or lesser of a runner.

And you are so right. Better to incorporate strength and cross training into your schedule than not. It's as much a part of running as pounding the asphalt/trails/treadmill.

 

[charndog]

Yes. This all makes sense and I am feeling so much better about it. I am a teacher full time. I am also a wife and mom to two 7-year olds (plus our three dogs). My DH and I have been trying to figure out our schedules for the new school year, as I start this week. The time is precious and hard to squeeze in for sure!

 

[keahgirl8]

Yes. This all makes sense and I am feeling so much better about it. I am a teacher full time. I am also a wife and mom to two 7-year olds (plus our three dogs). My DH and I have been trying to figure out our schedules for the new school year, as I start this week. The time is precious and hard to squeeze in for sure!

Yeah. Run 3 days a week. You'll be fine. lol

 

[Mickey Momma]

Sure has been quiet around here! Everybody must be watching the Olympics.

 

[Anisum]

QOTD: What is the best advice a fellow runner has given to you?

Bodyglide. Just stick it everywhere. Also upgrade that body glide to Vaseline/Aquaphor/etc when running in the rain.

The first thing I'd like to read more about is how you guys plan and track things. (I'm a researcher, so very much a planner who loves data!) I've been using a C25K app, which is fine for the first several weeks, when you are running a minute, walking one, etc. But now that I'm at the level of "run 20 minutes" it's not so useful. I'm using a Gear S2 for HR and GPS. I suppose I'll just have to figure out my plan.

I hate that part of the C25K. It just seems to go from walking at reasonable intervals to "don't walk, just run" which isn't all that realistic as many people employ the run/walk/run method as their overall technique.

OK, y'all ...

Would you ever report someone you knew to a race director for a serious course-cutting infraction resulting in a a massive PoT improvement. This was only on the half (RnR Las Vegas), but I have a feeling she's going to try it again this year for the full in an attempt to BQ.

That's a tough one because if they were someone I was close to I would probably bring it up in a non-confrontational way such as "I saw your latest race! What a great improvement. What training plan are you using?" to try and guilt them into admitting it and then go from there.

If I wasn't close and they were going for a BQ by cutting while not being obvious enough to catch the attention of race directors I would probably report it anonymously to Marathon Investigation or something. That being said I would also look into RnR's policies on missing splits because some will disqualify you if your splits look off and you miss one or more mats while others don't seem to look that closely.

With @LSUlakes permission, today's QOTD.

QOTD: Share your date and data (or experience) from your very first training run (during your most recent attempt to start running). So this may not necessarily be your first run in high school (etc.), if you since had taken a very long break between then and when you started up again.

I would estimate it was around February 28, 2015 give or take a few days when I started the C25k app. It was a half hour workout with walking in between runs and I probably got about 1.25 miles including warm up and cool down. 1.5 if you include the amount I had to walk back to my house post cool down.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

Anybody notice something about these medals? A peculiar omission...

EDIT: Maybe not... Actually, check your old medals and ribbons if they are handy. Are the only ones to have 'runDisney' on them the ribbons for the coast to coast medals? And I notice the medals switch between reading 'Walt Disney World' to just 'Disney'. Maybe it's a space thing.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I ran my Bridge & Back 10k this morning in sunny and humid weather. The route is very pretty by the water but with lots of rolling hills. I finished 1:13:23, best 10k for this year.

Good job Sue. Where was this race? Would you recommend it?

Sure has been quiet around here! Everybody must be watching the Olympics.

You'll see the pattern the more you visit. It gets quiet around here on weekends, not just because of the Olympics. Once everyone gets back to work today then it starts moving fast again.

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: What training program did you use when you first started running if any? Why did you make that decision?

ATTQOTD: I started out with couch to 5k. I did so, because I had ran in high school and knew I need a little structure to get me back into it.

I Believe this (C25K) will be a popular reply to todays question, but was just curious who has tried something different.

 

[opusone]

QOTD: What training program did you use when you first started running if any? Why did you make that decision?

I didn't use any training plan when I first started running. It wasn't until I decided to try my first marathon that I used a training plan, and I think it was a Hal Higdon plan simply because it was the first one I found (likely in Runner's World magazine). In the early 1990's, there weren't nearly as many training plans as there are nowadays.

 

[DopeyBadger]

QOTD: What training program did you use when you first started running if any? Why did you make that decision?

When I first started in June 2012, I had no plan. I was running to lose weight with no racing in mind. I just went out and ran as fast as I could for a few miles and then came home. Keep in mind all distances need to have a -5% adjustment to them because of Runtastic's inaccuracy (thus 20.00 miles equals 19.00 miles in reality).



When I decided to run my first marathon in October 2012 (I signed up on 8/19/12 after seeing if I could run 6 miles, then 10 miles), I had about 8 weeks to go from 3 miles to 26.2 miles. I looked at a few plans online (Galloway, Higdon, Runners World) that seemed to agree that I needed to build to 20 miles on the weekend. So I did. I continued to measure my progress during this training plan by trying to PR every single run. I have no idea why I chose to do it this way, and I HIGHLY recommend no one follow my stupid plan.



*Edit to add: By "stupid plan" I mean trying to go from 3 miles to 26.2 miles in 8 weeks. It was an incredibly bad decision and put me at an extremely high risk for injury.

 

[camaker]

QOTD: What training program did you use when you first started running if any? Why did you make that decision?

I used one of the Hal Higdon half marathon novice training plans when I started running. My PT, who is also a runner, recommended his plans and they were simple and easy to follow. Worked great getting me ready for my first couple of half marathons.