BrassDragon, how long has you been running? Your pace is something else! Any tips?
I started to run 10Ks a week ago after a year hiatus, and I averaged ~5:35/km.
After almost a year of struggling (and feeling I was bashing my head against a plateau) I finally pushed my 10 kilometer time past the 35 minute mark, setting my personal best at 34:24.
This was just a test run around an industrial park, not even a race. I was cruising and feeling the flow but didn't realize I was breaking the barrier as I was doing it. Woohoo!
I wanted to do attain this before I turned 40. Didn't quite make it but at least I can cross it off before turning 41.
The secret sauce appears to be hill training, which I started incorporating two months ago.
Current mood: awesome.
Thanks! I can't say that I like weight training, but I do understand its benefits. It's just really hard to go to the gym in the summer when I can be outside running or biking. I do lift once or twice a week, but my heart is not into it.Cheers, guys.
I've been running several times a week for almost 20 years.
Guess the best lesson I learned is that running is the sum total of everything: what you eat, how you move, how you sleep, how strong you are, how flexible you are, how you recover from injury or fatigue, even down to your mindset when you put on your flats.
If nothing else, I recommend strength training which a lot of runners seem to ignore and even look down on. I got a ton of mileage out of body weight exercises which has become a habit over the years - but if I had to do it over, I would have done more in the gym with proper weights.
Whenever I hit a ceiling, instead of changing up my training schedule or trying to push harder, I stay committed but tweak little things: maybe spend a week on my form or look critically at post-run meals, work solely on flexibility during off-days etc. It's amazing and gratifying how you get sudden improvements from something like eating more protein, a dozen yoga sessions, regular chin-ups or 30 minutes extra sleep every night. My last tweak was adding weekly hill sprints to my schedule.
Heh, it sounds obsessive and maybe it is, but I enjoy the process: it's fun to me, like planning tactics in a game. If a tweak doesn't work, at least I learned something new about myself.
After almost a year of struggling (and feeling I was bashing my head against a plateau) I finally pushed my 10 kilometer time past the 35 minute mark, setting my personal best at 34:24.
This was just a test run around an industrial park, not even a race. I was cruising and feeling the flow but didn't realize I was breaking the barrier as I was doing it. Woohoo!
I wanted to do attain this before I turned 40. Didn't quite make it but at least I can cross it off before turning 41.
The secret sauce appears to be hill training, which I started incorporating two months ago.
Current mood: awesome.
Congratulations on achieving your goal. What are you aiming for next?
I need to try and find some more hills near where I live. When I set my PB it was when I lived in a hilly area and always got a good workout in. Then a couple weeks ago I was running round a hilly area twice and noticed a huge difference in my time last week.
Thanks... heh, I still haven't figured out what's next - didn't expect to suddenly hit my goal, figured it was going to happen in upcoming races a few months from now.
My department is competing in the national police games which is basically obstacle runs so I may focus on upper body strength for a bit while maintaining running pace.
I only have a single hill around here but that's really all you need. I do sprints to the top (straight line, all forefoot strikes) and jog back down for 10-20 reps, 3 times a week. It's beast (easily my toughest workout) but effective.
Does anyone know of a good place (site or book) to find some good running regimen (or instructions on constructing one) that will mix up variety, plain getting better and no huge (or seemingly huge end goals)?
I currently do (or, rather, recently gotten back into doing after cold months) things like endurance runs (staying at low HR), moderate steady pace, uphill intervals, sprint intervals and 400m fast-paced intervals. I'm having trouble deciding on when and how often to do what, and possibly how much/how intense. I did most of those things last year (minus the uphill run) and think I could have done better despite some general improvements.
Mostly articles on the net seem to focus on how to get to 5K, 10K, marathon etc, but I have no problem doing a 5K and generally I'm not very interested in a 10K or upwards - both because the park I run in is about 5K going through most routes, but also I'm not really willing to put in more than 30-45 min a day plus the 20ish it gets me to walk to there.
Jack Daniels is supposed to be pretty good. I haven't read it, but a number of people whose training I respect seem to follow his philosophy.
http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836
Jack Daniels is supposed to be pretty good. I haven't read it, but a number of people whose training I respect seem to follow his philosophy.
http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836
I'm at week 5 of Couch to 5k.
20 minute jog without break done!
Longest time without stopping for me yet. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've always hated and sucked at running.
What's the typical nutritional strategy for runners? If carbs are fuel, do you eat carbs-heavy before a long run? What about after practice runs? Do you go low-carb for a while then gobble a metric fuck-ton of pasta the night before a race? What do you eat before a run, and how long before?
All I know if carbs are evil and make me obese. Also, I can't run with something in my stomach, nor have something in my stomach for a few hours after an intense run. *shrug*
I was told to eat a banana before I go run. I would barf the shit out of that banana not 2 minutes after I started running.
What's the typical nutritional strategy for runners? If carbs are fuel, do you eat carbs-heavy before a long run? What about after practice runs? Do you go low-carb for a while then gobble a metric fuck-ton of pasta the night before a race? What do you eat before a run, and how long before?
All I know if carbs are evil and make me obese. Also, I can't run with something in my stomach, nor have something in my stomach for a few hours after an intense run. *shrug*
I was told to eat a banana before I go run. I would barf the shit out of that banana not 2 minutes after I started running.
I also run in fasted state. I don't like having food in my stomach when I run.
I'm a rank beginner though. I'm not doing ultras or Iron Mans, which I would reckon would require more fueling.
When I was trying to lose weight last year I was using myfitnesspal as well, it did help me tremendously, especially to put in perspective what I ate and how much I exercised. I ended up stalling at my current weight sometimes in november, and I got bored of logging the same shit everyday. Eating habits have slipped a little bit, it could be a good idea to start using mfp again.Recently, I've been logging everything that I eat into MyFitnessPal and it's been a game changer when I combine it with my VivoActive to check on my nutrition and how many active calories I'm burning. Really motivates me to make a "smart" selection when it comes to eating out.
Yeah I can't have anything in my stomach either when I run or for a while after I ran, especially if it was a long or intense run. I usually feel fine, although I've felt flat before, in particular when I was losing weight (big calorie deficit + probably not enough sleep).Usually, I do eat a banana (and iced coffee w/ coconut milk) before I run. Otherwise I end up feeling lethargic when I work out. Oddly enough, I have the opposite problem. I get freaking hungry after I workout but can't eat a whole lot- just need something in my stomach.
Isn't that last thing ketosis though? I'm trying to avoid eating too many carbs, but I'm far from a ketosis diet. Dunno how much I eat per day, but it's probably about 80 to 100g of carbs.Carbo loading is unnecessary. I eat relatively low carb and I never have any issues with fueling.
....
There are low carb athletes, who are fat adapted, using fat as fuel, who do these events too.
Fucking bananas man, they're all over! I sort of do the same as you though. On weekdays, I run after work, from 5:30PM, about 5hrs after lunch. On weekends I typically run after I've had breakfast, but I usually wait at least 1h and a 1/2 after eating (usually some coffee and a cple of wheat bran pancakes). Might try a banana this weekend to see what the fuss is about.I usually make sure that there's at least 90 to 120 minutes between my last meal and my run. Eating before my run really doesn't work for me. Only exception is the before mentioned banana. If I have one like an hour or so before my run it doesn't really affect me.
Yeah kind of the same here. I'm mainly winging it, trying not to eat too much crap. Seeing Brass Dragon's successes though, and reading how meticulous he is about things, I've been wondering if maybe taking a closer look at my diet would help me stop sucking.But then again, I'm not really serious with food in combination with my running activities. I eat and drink whatever pleases me. Well to a certain degree of course, I obviously don't eat fat shit every day.
Good to know. I run 20+Km on sundays on a coffee and the aforementioned pancakes. I've been told that's dangerous/detrimental and that I should eat more. I haven't felt like I was running on empty though, just general fatigue setting in. See the pace curve on top of the page, it's overall trending down but there's no dramatic breakdown telling me I'm running on fumes (low red areas correspond to stairs I have to climb or steep uphills).I usually run in the morning on an empty stomach and have no problem running a half marathon distance like that. For my afternoon/evening runs I usually try not to eat a lot during the day, usually a can of tuna a few hours before I run.
Maybe I should. I've been kind of on a bio/natural/non-chemical/non-industrial slant ever since I started watching my weight. Chemical gel thingies kind of run counter to that and I'll have to force myself, but I might give it a shot if only to see if it works for me.I have never tried any, but maybe you should try eating some gels, maybe that will help you and keep you fuelled up.
I'd like to get someone to look at my form as well... They got nothing like that (that I know of) around these parts though unfortunately.I think I will try the Nike running analysis when I pick them up. Will be interesting to know the mechanics of my running style.I believe I am a forefoot striking, but never really can tell too good.
Again, good to know. Was almost starting to fear that running on an empty stomach was weird and dangerous.I do all of my long distances fasted. Though during 10mi+ races I do refuel with whatever is offered along the way.
Whatabout for a semi? And if one were to carb load, how long before would that be? Dinner the night before?There is generally no reason to carb load unless you are planning to run more than 10k.
In fact, it's recommended to do your training runs without water. Turns out when you are slightly dehydrated you perform better.
I hardly ever drink during my runs. Only at events I sometimes pick up a cup of water when I pass a water point. Usually when it's 10km+.
That's interesting. I used to bring a small bottle on my weekday shortish runs (7.5Km) and kind of force myself to drink a bit mid-way through. Eventually, I got sick of it and realized my body didn't seem to need or even want water at that time. I still drink plenty afterwards, but never during. I don't drink either on longer runs, and I don't feel like that's a huge problem, or at least my body is not screaming for water during the run.I still remember when I first started to run and needed a bottle of water with me when just running a little one k. I am at the stage now where I can do 21k in the early morning with no water with no problem. I try to avoid the afternoon sun as much as possible and feel 13k is my limit in the heat. So try to only do shorter runs then.
lol now I really want to try.I did try a gel one time, got it from my dad. Tastes like shit
My two week holiday abroad has kind of thrown me off in terms of running, but I'm now back on track and trying to put in a run every other day. It's not going all that smoothly though. I'm still struggling to get under 25:00 (granted I'm probably not pushing myself to the max). Yesterday I managed 25:01 and on Monday 25:16. I'm also noticing some minor nagging pains (knees and shins) at times. Something tells me that the struggle to get my pace back to where it used to be last year (23:00 - 24:00 for 5k) has to do with my weight increase. I've probably gained about 3-4 kg compared to last year (which I intend to lose) and I feel that it's literally weighing me down.
I hardly ever drink during my runs. Only at events I sometimes pick up a cup of water when I pass a water point. Usually when it's 10km+.
I did try a gel one time, got it from my dad. Tastes like shit
Yeah, the mental aspect plays a huge role for me as well. In similar conditions, same rest, same weather, same circuit, I can have differences of up to 30s/Km depending on whether I'm actually trying hard or just going through the motions. Some days I want it, some days I just don't have that edge or mental energy.I feel that I dont push myself hard enough because I just think that I will naturally get faster as the weight drops.
I read a thing from Mo Farah earlier and he says he never drinks during running. Carrying a water bottle disrupts his balance.
I have never heard anything about it being dangerous not to eat before a run. I think it all just comes down to how your body is. I am sure there are people who can wake up and run a marathon on an empty stomach while others cant even run a few Ks.
I always read that is important to find all these things out while you are still building a base before your training. You dont want to be halfway through training or a couple days before a race and changing things up. Mix it up and see what works best and then stick with it.
How's the watch you mention? I'm using the nike+ GPS watch, which is serviceable enough but nothing special (tracks my runs, logs them online).
I hardly ever drink during my runs. Only at events I sometimes pick up a cup of water when I pass a water point. Usually when it's 10km+.
I did try a gel one time, got it from my dad. Tastes like shit
Yeah, I find it kind of hard to drink during a run. I sort of have to actually stop for a moment, and I hate doing that. I'm with you, I usually don't bother if it's 10k or less.
For some reason I ended up doing mostly evening runs since my comeback the other week. I guess my four exams from this week are partly to blame. Crazy week, but now I'm freeee
Gonna have dinner a bit early today so I can get running by 8pm. Doing a 'birds watching' session today. Just to make some ground. Can't wait for sunday. The weather should be cloudy, about 18 degrees celcius. Almost perfect.
When I was trying to lose weight last year I was using myfitnesspal as well, it did help me tremendously, especially to put in perspective what I ate and how much I exercised. I ended up stalling at my current weight sometimes in november, and I got bored of logging the same shit everyday. Eating habits have slipped a little bit, it could be a good idea to start using mfp again.
How's the watch you mention? I'm using the nike+ GPS watch, which is serviceable enough but nothing special (tracks my runs, logs them online).
That annoys me. You know at events they always have cups filled with water (or sometimes some sports drink) ready for you at given points along the track. I'm just never able to manage picking one up and drinking it whilst running. I usually end up taking two zips and pouring the rest anywhere but my mouth.
Thanks for the reply. Does it work with standard HR straps (if there's such a thing) or do you have to buy some garmin accessory?Not OP, but can chime in here. I've been using the VivoActive since it released. There's a lot I like about it - GPS connection is fast and reliable, and the watch works for tracking heartrate with a strap as well. It also functions as a daily activity tracker if you're into that, as well as offering smartphone notifications.
Sounds good. My nike GPS watch is dying a slow painful death (chipped in many places, strap about to split in half, starting to sometimes lose GPS signal). I should be reasonable, swap out the broken strap and roll with it, but I kind of want a new toy. ;3Love the VivoActive. Let's me track all of my running/cardio/misc. fitness activities together in a single app unlike things like FitBit. I have yet to try it for swimming, but since my allergies are finally dying out it's probably time for me to start reintegrating it into my training routine.
Yeah temperature has a pretty big impact. Been getting a little cooler here, had a cple of weeks of high 20s/low 30s, fell back down to 17/18C, made a world of difference.18 C? Damn, if only the weather in the Philippines could be like that. Usual temp here is around 30 C, but since it's summer, it's around 35 C and that doesn't include the humidity yet. I'm already sweating before I even start my run/warm up.
For elite competitors and ILoveBish.Yes those are ketosis diets, but these are for elite competitions I'm talking about.
I think I've read people using +10% distance/week as a rule of thumb but others might have a more precise answer.I've been running for little over a month, usually around 5km a few times a week. Are there any general rules for how quickly you should ramp up the distance? Just in terms of staying injury free I mean.
Yeah, I find it kind of hard to drink during a run. I sort of have to actually stop for a moment, and I hate doing that. I'm with you, I usually don't bother if it's 10k or less.
That annoys me. You know at events they always have cups filled with water (or sometimes some sports drink) ready for you at given points along the track. I'm just never able to manage picking one up and drinking it whilst running. I usually end up taking two zips and pouring the rest anywhere but my mouth.
Thanks for the reply. Does it work with standard HR straps (if there's such a thing) or do you have to buy some garmin accessory?