The Running Thread - 2016

[BuckeyeBama]

Good thoughts! It's true, I have little experience when it comes to injuries and injury prevention. So I'll defer to your opinion.

You are a very bright young man who has helped a lot of people on this board, including me. Please don't feel that you should defer to me in anything. I was just pointing out another perspective.

It's a good point. He didn't decide to run the Olympic Trials until really late (after the NCAAs). He was originally planning on running World Juniors, but then he did so well at NCAAs that people around him convinced him to go pro (he was a freshman at Texas A&M), cash in, and compete at the OT. But definitely agree that he will look back at this moment and always wonder what if? But he's got the talent that I wouldn't be surprised to see him back again in 4 years.

I didn't realize that we was that young. I hope he gets another shot in 4 years.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Number Two--- have any of you ever met up at a race? I feel like some of us have to live close, and if not, have to cross paths as Disney races

Something we put together for Marathon Weekend last year was a corral and planned pace listing. We included to the best of our abilities what people were wearing. It allowed other to meet up in the corrals and then if they desired run together with someone of a similar paced goal. I think the response was good from last year's experience so I plan on doing it again when the weekend gets closer. I'd love to put more faces with the people I converse with so much on this board this coming year.

You are a very bright young man who has helped a lot of people on this board, including me. Please don't feel that you should defer to me in anything. I was just pointing out another perspective.

Appreciate it. No worries, though. I know lots but one thing that I definitely don't have a lot of experience with is injuries and injury prevention. I always enjoy reading others opinions, because other perspectives allow me to learn even more information.

 

[Miranda]

Here's the most interesting thing from the 10k. The tape seen on Galen's legs is not KT tape. It's Nike's new wind resistance tape. I've never heard of such a thing. Here is a blurb on ESPN.

Yeah, Jenkins was wearing it, too.

I don't normally follow pro running super closely, so I was a little surprised to see Eric Jenkins! He is a local guy. It was only a few years ago when I was reading about him in our local newspaper. I didn't realize that he was that highly ranked in the pro ranks.

 

[Keels]

Train for a marathon in Texas, in the summer. It'll be fun, they said. You won't die, they said.

They lied.

#RIPKeels

 

[Kathymford]

I have read the same advice from Runners Connect and others. I have not seen any scientific evidence either for or against this theory. I use to only have one pair of shoes and never really got injured. However, I do follow it now as I have 4 different types of shoes that I rotate based on what type of run it is and what type of shoe characteristics they have (drop, cushion, weight, heel stack). I still don't really ever get injured. So I guess my philosophy is, if I can't see a reason not to do it, then I guess I'll try the idea until I realize it doesn't work for me. My guess though is there are likely other factors higher on the "reason I got injured" list than shoe characteristic rotation.

You can accomplish the exact same thing by running on different surfaces and terrains. No need to have several shoe types to challenge different muscles. The external factor most likely to cause a running injury is the runner's shoes. The more shoe types that a runner has to cycle through each year, the higher the likelihood that one of those pair will cause injury.

Young runners really don't understand the whole injury thing. I didn't either when I was young. I could do anything, wear anything, run faster or slower, sprint without warming up - anything, and I never got injured. Heck, I went through two whole training seasons running in Keds. Look them up. It was like wearing cheap canvas moccasins. Not even a hint of an injury.

When you get older, injury prevention becomes a priority. Changing ANYTHING introduces risk.

Thank you both. I was just curious of the thinking behind it. I do rotate shoes, but they are two of the exact same style, just different color. And was wondering if I should get a different pair because shopping.

I'm trying to figure out what I did to get my injury, but I guess I will never know. I don't think it was any one thing that happened and that irks me. It's always been a weak spot, so I guess I just need to strengthen it over all.

 

[Miranda]

For better or worse, my last half marathon of this part of the year is in a week and then I can just base build and relax. I had a strugglefest of a 7.5 miler this morning. It was supposed to be 8, but one of my calves started feeling a little crampy, so I just shut it down.

I'm not really sure what to do for the rest of the summer/fall. I want to maintain some higher mileage, although at this point I'm not sure how much "higher mileage" is left in my legs. In the past 1.5 months, the only long runs I have done are my other 2 half marathons (5/15 and 6/5) and I have done some 6-7 milers here and there between. I will have a half marathon for sure on 11/13 and maybe on 10/23, so I don't want to lose anything that I still have left in there.

I also have a 10K race in mid-August that I'd really like to PR. I wanted to also get a t-shirt, but that seems unlikely now. The t-shirt distribution is complicated and being able to earn one at this race is kind of a bragging thing since not everyone gets one. It's not like "top 3" bragging level, but it's still something. The distribution is based on your place and the number of t-shirts available for your age group varies based on what % of the finishers in the previous year's race came from your age group. Last year, 15% of the finishers were in my brand new age group, 40-49, so 15% of the total t-shirts (43 of 312) are available to earn. I thought it might be possible before the t-shirt numbers were announced this year, but the change to the new age group hurts (because my old age group, women's 0-39, was the largest percentage of all finishers so they get a whopping 81 shirts), also the lower number of total finishers last year hurt. The total t-shirts available to everyone is also based on the # of finishers the previous year, and it was very humid and foggy and numbers were down. Based on last year's results and this year's shirt numbers, I would need to run 1:00:50 to earn a t-shirt in 40-49, and that's just not possible for me at this time. My PR from January on a pancake flat course is 1:13:39. I think last year I had calculated that I would have needed to run like 1:07 or 1:08 to get a t-shirt in 0-39, but with the reduced total number of shirts, that would be 58:33 now!

 

[Chasing Dopey]

Thank you both. I was just curious of the thinking behind it. I do rotate shoes, but they are two of the exact same style, just different color. And was wondering if I should get a different pair because shopping.

I'm trying to figure out what I did to get my injury, but I guess I will never know. I don't think it was any one thing that happened and that irks me. It's always been a weak spot, so I guess I just need to strengthen it over all.

I missed it - what's the injury? I've had just about everything (or it feels that way) so I may be able to point you in a good direction.

 

[huggybuff]

I am 220 lbs (I lost 4.5 lbs this month

Great job! You're well on the way to your goal!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

I also have a 10K race in mid-August that I'd really like to PR. I wanted to also get a t-shirt, but that seems unlikely now. The t-shirt distribution is complicated and being able to earn one at this race is kind of a bragging thing since not everyone gets one. It's not like "top 3" bragging level, but it's still something. The distribution is based on your place and the number of t-shirts available for your age group varies based on what % of the finishers in the previous year's race came from your age group. Last year, 15% of the finishers were in my brand new age group, 40-49, so 15% of the total t-shirts (43 of 312) are available to earn. I thought it might be possible before the t-shirt numbers were announced this year, but the change to the new age group hurts (because my old age group, women's 0-39, was the largest percentage of all finishers so they get a whopping 81 shirts), also the lower number of total finishers last year hurt. The total t-shirts available to everyone is also based on the # of finishers the previous year, and it was very humid and foggy and numbers were down. Based on last year's results and this year's shirt numbers, I would need to run 1:00:50 to earn a t-shirt in 40-49, and that's just not possible for me at this time. My PR from January on a pancake flat course is 1:13:39. I think last year I had calculated that I would have needed to run like 1:07 or 1:08 to get a t-shirt in 0-39, but with the reduced total number of shirts, that would be 58:33 now!

Wow, that is a complicated way to get a race shirt! I say you deserve one for figuring out the math!

Good luck on your half next week!

 

[Miranda]

Wow, that is a complicated way to get a race shirt! I say you deserve one for figuring out the math!

Good luck on your half next week!

Haha, I didn't have to do any math myself. They post a chart on the website with the percentages and numbers of shirts for each division. All I had to do was look at last year's results and look up the last person in each division that would get one this year.

 

[Kathymford]

I missed it - what's the injury? I've had just about everything (or it feels that way) so I may be able to point you in a good direction.

HA. I pulled/strained did something wrong to my groin muscle. When I first shut everything down it was aching from pelvis all the way to my inner knee. So the whole giant muscle.

 

[mrsgryphon]

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

 

[dis_or_dat]

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Welcome Christine! Wow, so impressed with how many halfs you've run and planning to run! Feel free to ask questions here since it abounds with so many knowledgeable people. I've also asked for a lot of advice on training (specifically Hanson's half marathon) from @DopeyBadger and he's made many training plans for a lot of members here (also @opusone was very helpful with my questions too).

 

[camaker]

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Paging @DopeyBadger to the white courtesy phone!

 

[Chasing Dopey]

HA. I pulled/strained did something wrong to my groin muscle. When I first shut everything down it was aching from pelvis all the way to my inner knee. So the whole giant muscle.

Ah-ha... Yup, had an adductor strain at one point, but mild, thankfully. My sister actually had the real deal a couple years ago that knocked her off the tennis court for a good while. Her's was the type that was very high in the hip, and from what I understand, just requires rest. If it's a full on pull, like hers, you just have to wait for the tissues to reconnect, I hate to say. You may already know this, but you can test it by squeezing a soccer or exercise ball between your knees. Depending on how much effort you put in before it hurts tells you how bad it is. Here's a cheesy little video on the test.

For me, I gently (and carefully) strengthened the adductors by first squeezing the exercise ball between my knees, stopping at the first sign of pain in the effort. After a while, I was able to add the ole' exercise-band-on-the-ankle adductor pull. I also foam rolled it... gently! No stretching. Oh, and cold/hot/cold/etc for a while each day until it cleared up, which it mercifully did right before Dark Side, but it did reduce my last two weeks of training. It's a group of muscles that doesn't get a lot of attention, but greatly benefits from some strength work, and is really easy to do. Just don't go after it until you can do it without the pain. I hope this has helped, if I wasn't already telling you stuff you didn't know!

 

[Chasing Dopey]

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Welcome!!!

Yeah, somebody already mentioned @DopeyBadger. He is a deep well of info. But I would say attempt to incorporate that first half INTO your current training plan (line it up in place of a long run of similar length), and when it comes time to race it, take that one a little easier, and instead of racing for time, use it to focus on avoiding the typical race-day mistakes (starting too fast, eating the wrong thing before, etc). Think of it as a full dress rehearsal.

So, yes, THIS is a good place to ask training questions!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Funny enough I was going to send you a message a week or so ago. Based on your "likes" I could see you were making your way through the whole thread.

Always happy to help, but I'd need more information before I can offer advice on jumping into the Hansons training. I'd agree with @Chasing Dopey that you'll be best served likely treating the 1st of the two half marathons as a dress rehearsal run.

1) What kind of training have you been doing lately? Days per week, pace, duration of runs, daily mileage, weekly mileage, etc.
2) What is a recent half-marathon result that you feel best represents your current fitness level?
3) What is your motivation for running?
4) Which of the two halfs is your "A" race? Which is the race you want to give your best effort?

I think based on these questions I can make some general recommendations on how to incorporate where you are currently and the Hansons half marathon plan.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I found a running podcast in my history that I never listened to that I went back to today (Runners Connect, I think). I found an epidsode on injuries that I wanted to listen to (because I'm obsessive and that's what I'm going through right now). The interesting part for me though was when he talked about swapping shoes for runs. I thought this was to just help the shoes last longer, but he said something interesting. He said that the shoes shouldn't be identical, as that in itself would change up the runs for leg muscles and help you stay injury free. His example was one might have an 8mm drop and another 5mm, etc. I had never thought of that. Anyone have any thoughts on this theory?

You can accomplish the exact same thing by running on different surfaces and terrains. No need to have several shoe types to challenge different muscles. The external factor most likely to cause a running injury is the runner's shoes. The more shoe types that a runner has to cycle through each year, the higher the likelihood that one of those pair will cause injury.

Young runners really don't understand the whole injury thing. I didn't either when I was young. I could do anything, wear anything, run faster or slower, sprint without warming up - anything, and I never got injured. Heck, I went through two whole training seasons running in Keds. Look them up. It was like wearing cheap canvas moccasins. Not even a hint of an injury.

When you get older, injury prevention becomes a priority. Changing ANYTHING introduces risk.

Thank you both. I was just curious of the thinking behind it. I do rotate shoes, but they are two of the exact same style, just different color. And was wondering if I should get a different pair because shopping.

I'm trying to figure out what I did to get my injury, but I guess I will never know. I don't think it was any one thing that happened and that irks me. It's always been a weak spot, so I guess I just need to strengthen it over all.

I have an opinion on injuries. I may be on my own island here but I'll voice it anyway. There are some injuries that could be avoided, like stepping wrong and twisting an ankle, or pulling a muscle for example. But I think at some point there are injuries you can't avoid, its just the way your body is made. Like BuckeyeBama said, when I was younger I NEVER warmed up before I played soccer (that used to be my sport). I beat up my body bad back then and I never got injured. Now that I am older I need to be smarter. In each of the last 2 years I have had an injury of significance. Last year it was plantar fasciitis. In my case it was a result of tight calf muscles. That is just how my body is made. Now I have to torture myself daily and stretch them out in order to run pain free. This year I tear my tendon in my ankle during the marathon. This is because my foot isn't flat on the ground so the outside of my foot had more wear and tear on it than normal. In my case there was nothing I could do to avoid either injury at least that I was aware of at the time.

We are all learning as we go. Some injuries are just unavoidable and we may not be able to understand how they happen until after they do.

Unfortunately it does not! I'll most like likely be moving out of the Boston area by the end of the year!!! Although I'd love to have a redo of this race. First and only race where I almost didn't finish due to injury. As it is I had to get carted away at the finish line in a wheelchair after curling up in a little ball of pain.

Maybe I will see you next year!

Where are you moving? I'm sorry we didn't get to meet. Maybe someday. It sounds likes many of us will be at Marathon weekend 2018. Maybe we can all meet there?

Great job! You're well on the way to your goal!

Thank you. I am focused and trying hard. I hope to lose a few more before the surgery because I imagine after that it will be more difficult.

Hi! I'm Christine - brand new to this forum but I'm going to jump on in. I've read a lot of this thread - what a wealth of information! I'm hoping to get registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2017 which will be my first Disney race. I ran my first half marathon last October after a couple of injuries causing me to defer my June race. This year I've run 3 halfs so far and have a couple more planned.

Is there a place that's appropriate to ask training questions? I could use some help from more experienced runners. I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Welcome. This is the place to ask your questions, that's what the thread is all about. Questions, support, fun!!! My question to you is, you have run 3 half's this year already, do you need a full 18 week plan anyway? Aren't you most likely already in decent shape? Give us some more info and you will most likely get plenty of feedback.

 

[Hazelon]

I'm just going to have to circle back to Rupp for a second here because I didn't get to watch the coverage till today. That man is AMAZING. My jaw was on the floor with how he closed out that race. The man in second place got a little close and he just took off. I was rolling my eyes at the one man that was doing commentary talking about how he's a marathon runner now and is just doing the 10k because it's his baby, and one is going to hurt the other.

This is clearly a man that's putting in an insane amount of work and it's paying off.

 

[opusone]

I got the Hansons Half Marathon book after reading about it here. Their plan is 18 weeks and I have 11 and 14 weeks before my fall half marathons, so I would have to tweak the plan somehow to use it.

Always happy to help, but I'd need more information before I can offer advice on jumping into the Hansons training. I'd agree with @Chasing Dopey that you'll be best served likely treating the 1st of the two half marathons as a dress rehearsal run.

1) What kind of training have you been doing lately? Days per week, pace, duration of runs, daily mileage, weekly mileage, etc.
2) What is a recent half-marathon result that you feel best represents your current fitness level?
3) What is your motivation for running?
4) Which of the two halfs is your "A" race? Which is the race you want to give your best effort?

I think based on these questions I can make some general recommendations on how to incorporate where you are currently and the Hansons half marathon plan.

I know @DopeyBadger will give you great advice... he is truly a wealth of knowledge. He also has great results that prove that the training methodologies, nutrition, tapering, and recovery plans he has pieced together work very well.

I have tried many training plans over the years, but I am currently on my second training cycle using Hansons Half Marathon Advanced plan (and I'm currently using Hansons Personal Coaching Services as well), so I can help translate any marathon-to-half-marathon training differences. The Hansons Half Marathon book definitely has some vague and inconsistent areas that weren't fully developed from the full marathon book. Some I figured out on my own based on the Hansons philosophy, and others I had to ask my Hansons coach to clarify, but I think I have a very good understanding now of the Hansons half marathon training and how it differs from the full marathon training. Anyway, that's a long-winded way of saying if you have any half marathon specific questions regarding Hansons, just ask away.