The Running Thread - 2021

I ran a live, in-person half marathon today!! And have a fresh new POT for runDisney. 🤞

Race Report
This race was a pretty small race in a town about 30-45 minutes from home. Looks like there were 133 finishers for the half. This area is a little hillier than where I live - it's pretty flat here in central Kansas. The temps were really great for a race, 45-50, but the wind was terrible for a race, 15-20mph (which is somewhat common here, but still not fun). This race took a course out towards the lake, around the campground, and back through town. Once at the lake, we were at the bottom of the dam, and then we ran up the hill to get to lake level about 1-2 miles into the wind, and then the course turned away from the lake (top of the loop) and started to have small rolling hills, but generally downhill; however, now the wind was fully in our faces. The downhill was not easy! The course then turned again, and for the most part the wind was at our back or side for the rest of the race. Yay!
My main goal for this race was to get under 2 hours for a new POT. Secondary goal was to be around 1:56, which is what my Garmin training plan was geared towards and would be a PR.
I had decided before the race to run by power with my Stryd footpad since there were more hills on this course than my normal training runs. I didn't want to run too hard up hills and burn out. I recently purchase the Stryd Wind version, so it also took the wind resistance into consideration - (wind doesn't add a lot to the power until it gets pretty strong - which today it was). I was pretty happy with my power results. My wattage stayed within 5 watts for each mile (while my pace for each mile ranged from 8:09-9:31 due to hills/wind) except for the last 1-2 miles when I kicked up the effort a little.
I finished in 1:57:23, which was 26 seconds slower than my PR; however I ran ~13.41 miles today vs ~13.28 for my previous PR - so technically probably ran a little faster than my PR today (old Stryd vs new Stryd calibration could make it a little off). Also, the fastest 13.1 of the 13.41 today was 1:54:41, so I kind of got that second goal. 😬
 
ATTQOTD: I can’t say I’ve done anything special. I feel fortunate I haven’t had any major injuries. Just stiff legs now and again. Then that’s just rest and the battle to not lose motivation. I have done kettlebells for cross training until my 15lb dog got loose and I grabbed her leash which ended up with tear in my rotator cuff. This was back in September. I just started PT and it’s helping. So I hope to get back to that soon. I’m also planning on stretching exercises more.
 
I have my first non-virtual road race since Christmas Eve 2019 Sunday. I'm excited and actually feel a little nervous which I haven't felt for a non-marathon road race in a long time. It is 5 miles just like that Christmas Eve run so I wonder what my time will look like.

Well, it turns out I had to skip the race today. We've been on the lookout for a rescue puppy we wanted to adopt and found one yesterday. I couldn't leave my wife with the kid and 2 dogs the first morning after adopting.

If I had to skip a race this is better than an injury which is usually the case. Meet the new pup, Rio:

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Ran into a fellow running club member when out on the trail this morning. I mentioned to him that I was thinking of running Wineglass and it turns out that he and three or four other club members are running it!

I think I found my 2021 marathon! I really need to get back to Monday night fun runs once my youngest finishes up Monday night gymnastics at the end of the month.
 
long time, no chat friends! It's new shoe day!! The first in many a long month. This last year has sucked so bad but things are improving. I'm extremely goal oriented with my running so after having so many races cancelled (local and rD) plus having surgery to repair a destroyed shoulder last year, I have been (sadly) inactive.
Well, not anymore. New shoes means I'm serious!! lol... Looking forward to an incredibly hot, humid, brutal summer to prep myself to run some fall races.

So if you come across an old, fat guy crying tears of joy at next year's Princess or Star Wars-- that'll be me!

Waddle on friends!
 


ATTQOTD:
I have had much less problems with injuries since starting to do two sessions a week of strength training with a focus on core work. Also when I get above 60 miles a week of running, I make an extra effort to get more than 7 hours sleep a night so my body has time to recover.
 
Submitting an item for QOTD consideration...

It's about to get HOT down here in the FLA, which means it's time to slooooooow my roll and just get through the endless summer without dying. So my question to all, but mostly those who do run-walk intervals, is:

How do you slow down? What's your methodology here: do you do longer walk intervals? Slow your cadence? Shorten your stride? Take stop-and-contemplate-the-universe breaks?

My pace just seems to slow naturally in the heat, without me thinking on it too much. But if I really examine some previous August-ish runs, I can see that I did take more walk breaks, and of longer duration, on long runs. I'm thinking this year I may try to make that intentional from the start and load my intervals with shorter run portions and longer, more frequent walk portions. I'm also not averse to parking myself on a bench in the shade for a couple minutes, but that also makes my total time out there longer, which is not ideal when trying to get as many miles as possible done before the sun's overhead.
 
QOTD: How do you stay injury free?
Ice after every run? Foam roll? Definite rest days? Tell us your secrets or lessons you've unfortunately learned the hard way.

Since I started stretching before runs I have way less injuries. I always warm up first and do a mix of very short static stretches (less than 10 second holds) and plyometrics. I also foam role more often and generally work on flexibility more. My physio has given me a bunch to do using just body weight, a lacrosse ball, or resistance bands and has cautioned me not to be too flexible. You want some stiffness if you run, someone as flexible as a Yogi won't fare any better than someone as stiff as a board.

Lastly, if I feel like something isn't right I take a few days off.
 
@slowoldgoofyguy - so sorry to hear! hoping for a strong recovery.

ATTQOTD:
Injury prevention: run easy pace / recovery runs as slow as I want; strength exercises; foam roll if feeling tight; stretch after runs if time permits; also try to listen to my body - if something feels off I try to address it before it worsens, even if it means taking a day or two off

Slowing down: I just follow my body's inclination to run slower in the heat. I have no problems walking during the "resting intervals" when training in the heat
 
ATTQOTD:
Injury Prevention: The best thing I’ve learned for injury prevention/mitigation is to be in tune with my body so that I can tell the difference between tired/sore and injury developing. At my age and with my sports history, something always hurts, but there’s a big difference between that and being injured. I can run through soreness, but trying to run through injury is asking for trouble.

Slowing Down: When I slow down for my easy runs or in the summer, I try to keep my cadence up and just take shorter strides. I’m not sure how well that ends up working in practice, but I do end up going slower.
 
ATTQOTD:

For the purpose of running slower, I put in less effort. So across the entire spectrum, there are paces where my effort is really high, and where my effort is really low to non-existent. In practice, the data shows that I slow down by decreasing my cadence and my stride length.

Easy days at 9 min/mile = 172 spm and 1.04m stride length
LR at 7:48 min/mile = 179 spm and 1.15m stride length
HM Tempo at 6:44 min/mile = 184 spm and 1.30m stride length
10k at 6:22 min/mile = 191 spm and 1.32m stride length
Mile at 5:42 = 190 spm and 1.48m stride length
450m at 5:08 min/mile = 200 spm and 1.57m stride length

But I'm not actively trying to lower my cadence or shorten my stride. Rather, I just put in less effort.

When it comes to the summer and the increasing temps. I just maintain the same level of effort as I did in the winter. That very well may mean that what was a 9:00 min easy pace in the spring with nice temps becomes a 10:00 min easy pace in the summer. But the effort remains the same. I've done run/walk with my daughter as slow as 14:30 min/mile pace. So I know I've got a range I can work with depending on how bad the conditions are.

For the purpose of run/walk, my recommendation is nearly the same as for continuous runners. I maintain the interval pattern and the walking pace. So the only variable I manipulate is the running pace. Like continuous runners, I suggest slowing it down to equal effort. Which means the average pace of the run will slow as well. The below is an example of a runner who is a 2:16 HM fitness level, walks at a 16:00 min/mile, and their corresponding paces with temp adjustments.

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If they had a T+D day of 165 (for example a 90F temp with 75F dew point), then I would recommend their marathon tempo to be an 11:35 min/mile average as a starting point. They can definitely go slower, but don't go faster than that. If they used the Option A scheme, then their original M Tempo was a 10:49 average with a 100/30 interval set of 9:56/16:00. In order to have an average of an 11:35 min/mile, the runner would slow their running pace from a 9:56 to a 10:42 min/mile. Making it a 100/30 set of 10:42/16:00 for an average of an 11:35 min/mile.
 
Submitting an item for QOTD consideration...
I run based on my heart rate, so when it gets hotter I adjust my run to stay within my target zone for a given run. The heat does not impact my pace for speed work, but I end up running slower on all other runs. I also try to run during the cooler times, totally avoiding runs during the hottest times of the day.
 
I run based on my heart rate, so when it gets hotter I adjust my run to stay within my target zone for a given run. The heat does not impact my pace for speed work, but I end up running slower on all other runs. I also try to run during the cooler times, totally avoiding runs during the hottest times of the day.
I too keep an eye on heart rate. I use the run/walk/run method mostly and when it gets really hot here is AZ I tend to shorten the run segments and keep the walk segments basically the same. I am a big fan of those cooling buffs that get cold when wet. And get up early as I a can. stand. I always try to remind myself that slow in the heat, is fast(er) in the cold! If you ever feel lightheaded, sit down. Don't think you can hold onto a fence until it passes, if you should happen to pass out your grip goes with it and you go with it. Just saying. :rolleyes1
 
How do you slow down? What's your methodology here: do you do longer walk intervals? Slow your cadence? Shorten your stride? Take stop-and-contemplate-the-universe breaks?

I take breaks in a couple of different ways:

Cheat at road crossings. Stop and take a rest even if there is no traffic.

This may not help in Florida: walk the top 1/4th of a hill. Hills and heat and old age will wear you out. I feel wimpy walking up a hill, but so be it. I cheat and stop the watch during the walk phase.

The pace just takes care of itself. I don't look at HR, I just go by feel. I make no conscious adjustment to cadence or stride.

Full disclosure: I do all these things even when it's cold.
 

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