The Running Thread - 2026

[PrincessV]

I quit supporting Nike a long time ago for different reasons. Just another on a long list to keep it that way

Same. And I switched to wearing Altras a long time ago because they just work better for me than other shoe brands… but their clap-back at Nike was a solid reason to keep giving them my money!

 

[Herding_Cats]

Plus 1 for New Balance customer service.

I ordered DS3 new track spikes just over a month ago (because middle school boy feet just keep growing!) from joesnewbalanceoutlet (which is overstock or last year's stuff) and today was his first meet. He ran the 1600 and the 3200. And after the 1600m one of his shoes looked like this:

My first instinct was the he had sliced it with the spikes on his other foot somehow during a step/legswing, but this is on the outside of the shoe, so that's really unlikely.

I went onto their main website, hit the chat button, and told CS what happened. They sent me a return label, and will give me a full refund for the shoes once they receive them. Doesn't solve the problem that he doesn't currently have useable spikes for next week, but I can hopefully order new ones to have in time. *SIGH*

 

[The Expert]

Thanks everyone for the feedback on The Feed. I just took advantage of the 25% sale to order a few singles and sample packs of different things to try out.

 

[FFigawi]

I keep saying they need a ghost runner that is going "average runner" pace alongside the lead pack, kind of like they do the 40s at the NFL Combine. Without the perspective of someone NOT doing 4-5mm it's hard to see how spectacular this is.

One year I ran Comrades, they had a treadmill set up at the expo going at the previous year's winner's pace. It was somewhere around 5:30-6 per mile. I managed to hold on for longer than I expected and walked away in disbelief that they averaged that over 90km.

Thank you. I am super curious about Skratch as it seems like EVERYBODY uses it. I appreciate all the suggestions.

Skratch is fantastic! Their chews, bars, and recovery mix are always at home. I don't like their carb fuel as much as Tailwind though.

 

[GollyGadget]

QOTD: How much do you focus on your running form? What cues do you use to keep your form strong? What other tips do you have for keeping good form throughout a run?

ATTQOTD: I do not usually focus much on my form. If I noticed that I was being particularly slouchy, I'd remind myself to pull back my shoulders but that was really it.

As I'm not training for anything at the moment, I figure it's as good of a time as any to work on my form instead of just plodding along. I watched a yt video the other day that advised pretending I was trying to rub gum off the bottom of my shoe when I pushed off. I gave it a try on my last two runs and it feels like I'm getting a lot more power out of each stride without any additional noticeable effort. My easy pace also improved 20-45 seconds per mile.

It kind of makes me feel like I've been running wrong for decades so I'm looking for more tips or resources.

 

[nancipants]

QOTD: How much do you focus on your running form? What cues do you use to keep your form strong? What other tips do you have for keeping good form throughout a run?

ATTQOTD: I do not usually focus much on my form. If I noticed that I was being particularly slouchy, I'd remind myself to pull back my shoulders but that was really it.

As I'm not training for anything at the moment, I figure it's as good of a time as any to work on my form instead of just plodding along. I watched a yt video the other day that advised pretending I was trying to rub gum off the bottom of my shoe when I pushed off. I gave it a try on my last two runs and it feels like I'm getting a lot more power out of each stride without any additional noticeable effort. My easy pace also improved 20-45 seconds per mile.

It kind of makes me feel like I've been running wrong for decades so I'm looking for more tips or resources.

Have you ever tried Galloway's acceleration gliders? It's mostly to help transition between run/walk, but I also find it helps with form.

We also do cadence drills, where we count our steps and try to increase every interval.

 

[PrincessV]

ATTQOTD: if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it - I’ve not had any issues indicating I need a change in form, so I try not to focus on it at all. The less in my head I am, the more relaxed my body becomes, and the better I run.

 

[SheHulk]

QOTD: How much do you focus on your running form? What cues do you use to keep your form strong? What other tips do you have for keeping good form throughout a run?

ATTQOTD: I do not usually focus much on my form. If I noticed that I was being particularly slouchy, I'd remind myself to pull back my shoulders but that was really it.

As I'm not training for anything at the moment, I figure it's as good of a time as any to work on my form instead of just plodding along. I watched a yt video the other day that advised pretending I was trying to rub gum off the bottom of my shoe when I pushed off. I gave it a try on my last two runs and it feels like I'm getting a lot more power out of each stride without any additional noticeable effort. My easy pace also improved 20-45 seconds per mile.

It kind of makes me feel like I've been running wrong for decades so I'm looking for more tips or resources.

I've gotten two pieces of advice that seem contradictory, but maybe not:
Imagine a string coming out of your belly button, pulling you along. This helps me to run tall. Along with that, Billy has said to run like I'm pinching my shoulder blades toward each other. I don't come close to doing that, but having that goal keeps me from slouching.

The other thing I've read is to lean forward like you're pushing a shopping cart up a hill. It's not contradictory to the above, because they don't mean lean at your waist, they mean more like make a line from your ankles to your shoulders and imagine leaning forward a little. I do run faster when I remember to do this.

 

[MissLiss279]

ATTQOTD:
I don’t particularly pay attention to my form, except for when running downhill. Lean forward, don’t brake, but stay in control.

 

[Dopey 2020]

ATTQOTD The last few months I have been really concentrating on my form, 2 things in particular. Stand up straight, head and shoulders back, chest forward. Increasing stride length behind me by pushing off harder instead of reaching and over striding. RWR helps a lot to check and reset form at each interval and I have noticed substantial gains in the form of decreased effort and HR. Just need it to become natural so I don’t have to think about it.

 

[The Expert]

ATTQOTD: When I started with my coach, she encouraged me to pay more attention to my form -- to tweak little things one at a time to recognize where I was fighting myself. As others have said, standing up straighter, leading with the hips and chest, leaning from the ankles, but also thinking about pulling your foot UP at the end of your stride rather than focusing on the downward motion and where/how you are landing.

This has helped me immensely with over-striding (especially as someone with short legs). I was very much a heel striker and over-striding trying to go faster, but now I find myself landing mid-foot with far less ground contact time. In fact, I can SEE it in my rD race photos -- almost all of them have flying feet now.

My pace is faster at what feels like the same effort, which is kinda fun! I do have to be mindful of expending too much energy by too high a bounce (especially on the treadmill), but my current training has a lot of speed work that helps me recognize that and reel it in.

 

[michigandergirl]

ATTQOTD: The only time I think about form is when there's a photographer on course and I don't want to look like I'm dying.

 

[Fenway1970]

In fact, I can SEE it in my rD race photos -- almost all of them have flying feet now.

That's my goal lol, to not look like I'm standing still in race photos because I sure don't feel like I am.

In my mind I look like a gazelle. And then I see the race photo and I'm like, "what the hell animal is that?!"

So I guess my ATTQOTD is: I think about it all the time but my brain has never figured out what "good" feels like.

 

[jmasgat]

ATTQOTD: I tend to think more of upper body/core form than lower. Part of that is due to a chronic cervical disc issue that I try to keep at bay. So I am definitely in the “pull your shoulders back” camp, keep your chin retracted, eyes forward. I tend to look down, and drop my head forward—not good. So I tell myself “look with you eyes, not your neck”.

Also, especially for going up hills, I have a mantra of “breath, buns, bhandas”, i.e. breathe to support the effort, use your big old glutes to move your legs, and keep you core engaged to “lift” your body (I’ve convinced myself that keeping an engaged core makes me “lighter”)

Finally, when I get tired, I remind myself to pick up my feet. I have no desire to trip an fall.

 

[Naomeri]

ATTQOTD: I don’t know about running form, exactly, but I pay a lot of attention to my posture on runs. To the point where I’ll say to myself “stop slouching, idiot”

Not only does it help me feel physically better, but it helps me mentally. If I’m slouching during walk breaks, it tends to turn into trudging, and that just makes me feel miserable, even if I’m actually doing fine otherwise.

 

[GreatLakes]

Chat,

Traveling for work next week, a few days in a Big city on the other coast: What's your strategy to find a good run route in a new (like haven't run there before) city?

Right now I'm at "go on Strava and check heat map"

I try and find runs in any city I go to. I start with Strava and Garmin heat maps and then see if there looks like there is an interesting park anywhere I can run through. I try to at least do one run through the heart of whatever city I'll be in. Later this year I'm spending 10 days in Italy and will be planning a route I can run early in the morning past the tourist attractions that will be crowded later in the day while it is just the locals out and about.

I only remember running on a treadmill once in a hotel.

 

[jrsharp21]

Finally had some time to sit down and replay my race at IronMan Texas in my head. So here goes my race report. Sorry for the length.

Ironman Texas 2026 race report

The race is held in The Woodlands, TX, which is where I live. So, I had a homecourt advantage for the race. I have been doing long runs out on the actual run course. Half of the run course is on the path I do my normal daily lunch runs. So definitely helped with the race.

Saturday morning started off with a 3am wake up. Gave me enough time to get a light breakfast and drink an electrolyte drink before packing up and heading to the transition area. Left my house at 4:30am to head to the race.

After parking, it was about a 10 minute walk to transition. Got to transition, loaded my bike with my three bottles of fuel, and several gel packets, filled my tires and was pretty much done. Easy set up to get out of there and out of the way. Transition was packed. Next was a 20 minute walk to swim start.

Got to the park where the swim was starting. It was pretty much organized chaos there. With all the athletes, families, and friends, it felt like it was people walking around just trying to figure out where to drop our special needs bags and then start to line up for the swim. The water temperature that day was 77 degrees, which made it a wetsuit optional swim. My coach and I had decided going into the race, that I was going to go wetsuit no matter what. So that means I had to start in the wetsuit group, which started after all the non wetsuit athletes started. I ended up going with a sleeveless wetsuit and one that went down to my calves. To my surprise, the wetsuit group was huge. Somehow I walked into the back of that group. Nope. Not starting last. So I worked my up to the middle of the pack. The race started at 6:20am with the male pros. At around 7:20am, the wetsuit group started to hit the water. I think my watch said something like 7:32am when it was my turn to enter the water.

I got into the water and it definitely felt colder than 77 degrees. So I was happy to have the wetsuit on. My first thought when getting in the water was get to the outside on the right. I don’t like swimming close to others. I know drafting helps in the water, but I don’t like being right next to people. I like doing my own thing, even if it means swimming a few extra yards. Got to the outside eventually and kicked it into cruise mode. While swimming, I heard a whistle being blown when I came up for a breath. I figured someone needed some help from one of the volunteers. Then I saw a boat in the middle of the swimmers, which I thought was very odd. Turns out, that was where one of the participants had gone under and they were searching for her. She ended up passing away. If I would have known what was going on, it probably would have shook me up big time. But I had no idea, so I continued on. The swim is my worst of the three sports, but I felt strong, especially with the wetsuit on. I did have to take two quick breaks because my goggles were giving me a headache. Dumb move to wear a new pair of goggles that I had only used the day before in the practice swim. But finished up the swim strong. Nice thing about the half wetsuit, it strips off easily. So pulled that bad boy off and headed to transition.

Got my T1 bag and headed into the changing tent. Had a towel to dry off my legs so that I could get my calf sleeves and socks on. But the water kept dripping of my tri suit and took a little longer to get the calf sleeves on. And then once I got them on, they were all out of place. I finally said screw it and put my bike cleats on and headed out to get my bike. Grabbed my bike and headed to the mount line. You could tell there were people who had never done a triathlon before because they didn’t know how the mount line worked. One person tried to get on their bike a good 20 yards from the line. Others were stopping right at the line to get on the bike and causing a back up. I ended up running past the traffic jam and went to the right side and got on my bike there. Off we go.

The bike portion of the race is a few miles inside of The Woodlands and adjacent city of Spring. Then you hit the Hardy Toll Road. This about a 36 mile loop that takes you from The Woodlands/Spring area to downtown Houston. You have to complete two loops before heading back into The Woodlands for the finish. There had been some rain in the forecast all week. But all sources said it would be a short shower if any. On the way out on the first loop, conditions were perfect. Really no headwind and a nice cloud cover. Since conditions were ideal, I tried to push the pace. Then I made the turnaround to head back. About halfway through, the sky opened up and it started pouring rain. I could hardly see out of my face shield of my race helmet. I just kept telling myself to not crash. As the rain kept coming, the temps started to drop. The wind also started to come in. It made for a not so pleasant ride. Finally got to the next turnaround to start the second loop. The rain continued on. I finally made it to my special needs bag. Trying to unload my special needs bag in the rain wasn’t easy. Finally swapped out my fuel bottles, downed some of the food I had in the bag, and I was back on the course. Shortly after the rain stopped and the sun started to come out. The warm sun felt really good since I was soaked. Then getting to the next turn around to head back in, the rain came back. Along with the rain, the wind really picked up. Ended up heading all the way back in with a headwind. That really killed the speed I had been keeping up. I decided to not to push through the wind but to just let cardio take over the rest of the ride in. As soon as I got off the toll road and back into town, the rain stopped. I was really hoping that was the last of rain for the day.

Got into T2 to change into my running gear. This was about 3:30pm. I tried to just be calm and not rush it. I wasn’t going to win any awards and I essentially had 9 hours to finish the run, figured no reason to rush.

The marathon is a three loop course. Got out onto the run feeling really good. Legs were not tired at all. I saw my wife and kids on the side of the waterway waiting for me. It was a nice pick me up, and maybe too much excitement. I ended up going 7:45 for my first mile. My wife said she saw me going that fast and knew that was going to be too much. But kept a pretty decent past for the next few miles. Got to the next fueling station and thinking I wanted to get ahead of fueling I went with water, electrolytes, Coke, and more water. Yea, too much liquid at once. That all started sloshing around in my stomach. So I had to slow down while that digested. Finally started feeling a little better and got back to running. Towards the end of the first loop, my lower left back really started to hurt. I knew I had some Tylenol in my running special needs back, along with Biofreeze. So the goal was to get back to the special needs stop and use it. It also started to rain again and temps started to drop. About a mile from special needs, my stomach started to cramp. It was the cramp where you basically have to walk as it hurts to run. I probably walked for half mile before trying to run/walk until special needs. Finally got to special needs. I took the Tylenol, loaded up on Bio Freeze on my back and legs, and also switched to dry socks, which I was so glad I had. I think this saved my feet during the run. Got back to running. Hit the next fueling station and tried to take in electrolytes and my stomach said no thank you. Next aid station I tried water and my stomach didn’t like that either. At this point my body was basically giving out. If I tried to run, my stomach would hurt. If I walked I was getting really cold as I was wet and the temps had really dropped. So I went into survival mode. Jog as long as I could, walk until I felt like I could jog. Pretty much did this the rest of the way. At one point I heard thunder in the background. I tried several times to pick up the pace as I didn’t want to be on the course if they had a lightning stop. With about a mile left, my head started to get foggy. I could tell I wasn’t even walking in a straight line. At this point I kept telling myself there was no way I was quitting to just drag myself to the finish. About a half mile from the finish I could tell the fogginess wasn’t getting any better. I actually decided to pop a caffeine gel I had to just get any kick I could out of it. I got to about 300 yards from the finish and decided we were going to jog in the rest of the way, no stop. Heck, there was family and friends taking pics. LOL. Saw the stage on the last 100 yard straight away and essentially had tunnel vision to the finish. I missed ringing the bell for first timers. Doh! Got through the finish and head the words “….you are an Iron Man”. If my head wasn’t so fuzzy, I probably would have shed a few tears. At that point, I was most concerned about just sitting down. But that didn’t happen either. The volunteer dragged me over to get my medal. Then I had to take my timing chip off. Then got my finisher swag. Next, they took me into the photo opportunity. After that I told them I was hungry and they started taking me into the athletes village. But then I stopped myself and said I should go to the med tent. My family was there as I exited the finish area, and they walked me to the med tent. Immediately I had three people escorting me to a bed. When I told them my head was really fuzzy and my stomach hurt on the course they started their evaluation. EKG monitor hooked up, heart was all good. Blood pressure checked, all good. But they kept saying they weren’t getting a reading from the thermometer. They tried three different times with the same one and they tried a different one, which gave them the same reading. My body temp had dropped to 95.2. The doctor told me I was pretty much freezing and that is why my body was shutting down on me. So they threw a bunch of blankets on me and gave me hot broth to drink. After about 15 minutes I started feeling much better. They had me walk around a little bit before letting me go.

Start time: 7:33am, Finish time: 8:50pm

Swim: 1:35
T1: 8:42
Bike: 6:11
T2: 11:27
Run: 5:11

Total time: 13:18

When I first started working with my coach, I told him the goal was to finish in under 14 hours. As we got closer to the race, I knew I could probably go under 13 hours. I think if I didn’t have my stomach issues I would have definitely been in the 12:45 range.

This was definitely one of the most physically and mentally challenging things I have ever done. You get into some dark places out on the course. You have to bring yourself out of it so you don’t keep slipping further into the hole. I was asked shortly after if I was going to do another full. I said I was probably one and done. But the more I think about the day, the more the needle creeps closer to possibly. Someone asked me what’s next. That is really where I am struggling with. What is next? I have three sprints scheduled for the summer. I think I will do 70.3 Waco again. I think after that I will make my decision if I do IMTX again. I already kind of feel like there is a hole in my life without a training plan this week. LOL.

But hey, not bad for a guy whose first sprint tri race was less than a year ago and less than a year later is now an Iron Man!

 

[rick1zoo2]

I really like Precision gels. I used them at MW and DL HM. Precision has a pretty good fuel calculator also. It will ask you a handful of questions and then gives you a fueling strategy with their products.

My favorite Precision product is the electrolyte pills. I used to get a cramp at some point in a HM or full marathon. Since I started using those on a run, no more cramps. I used them on my marathon part of my Iron Man on Saturday, no cramps at all....thank goodness.

Having experienced cramps at a few of my HMs and the Springtime Surprise 10 Mile this past weekend, I am trying to figure out why it happens and solutions for it. Best I can figure it happens when it's warm out and when there are hills. The HM and 10 Mile course at WDW don't have significant elevation gains, but those 3 overpasses between miles 7-9 on the 10 mile and between miles 10-12 on the HM course always seem to do me in. I might feel ok going up and over, but then cramps seem to start up after those. This past weekend it started about mile 9 and I tried Pickle Juice, some stretching and walking and I managed to hold the cramps off until I jogged through the finish. Not sure that the Pickle Juice really did much, here I am with the empty bottle while looking for a trash can:



So if I can ask: how do you use the precision electrolyte pills? Do you take them before or during? and how much?
Is this them?:

The other things I am thinking of are figuring out how to better hydrate before a race and training more hills? Open to suggestions. thanks!

 

[The Expert]

If anyone else was stalking the LiquidIV/Grillo's Pickles collab flavor, I just got alerted that they restocked! https://www.liquid-iv.com/products/grillos-pickles-hydration-multiplier

 

[The Expert]

Congrats on your first IronMan @jrsharp21!

And good job recognizing you needed immediate medical attention. I never would have thought hypothermia was your issue with those symptoms. Also sorry to hear the swimmer who died was in your race; I wondered about that when I heard about it.