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[Fistwell]

Is an 18-minute 5k a relatively achievable time for a pretty in-shape person with sufficient training?

Anything's possible. Also, "pretty in-shape" and "sufficient training" are not much to go on to say the least.

But 18mins is in all likelihood beyond your current abilities if you haven't been training, unless you have outstanding talent. It's impossible to generalize relevance of time goals, so, I will now proceed to make an ass of myself by doing just that. 25min is typically achievable by someone in shape that's recently picked up running. 20mins is either someone who starts out with significant talent for running, or the above 25min, in-shape guy, who's put in another 6 to 12 months of training.

25 and 20 are way more common time goals, especially for newer runners, than 18.

But don't let that stop you! Good luck on your training! Please do let us know how it goes!

Age

Yeah, I have a blindspot on age (and talent), because I started running when old (and have 0 talent). Maybe sporty kids can just lace them up and run sub 6min/mile for 3 miles? I'm sure for some of them it's possible, but I doubt many can. Anecdotal, but, coworker has an extreme jock son, plays football and other sports. He was proud of a 42min 10K (which he should be). That's a 20:15 5K. There's a world of a difference between 4:10/K and 3:36.

 

[max_505]

What do you guys do to prevent shin splints? Stopped running for a few months because my left shin always got so tight while running, but I can still feel it tightening up when I ran a few days ago. Can't seem to get rid of it.

 

[Jintor]

i've restarted my couch25k again for like the third time (i actually finished it maybe three years ago but I've lost touch since then due to moving countries and work etc)

wish me luck

 

[BrassDragon]

Is an 18-minute 5k a relatively achievable time for a pretty in-shape person with sufficient training?

I managed to do times like that a few years ago at 41 but it took a lot of experience and messing around with the training regime (particularly strength by way of ridiculous amounts of hill reps or core training.)

My advice is to map out a bunch of milestones to achieve rather than a long term holy grail goal. It's way more motivating and keeps you focused because in all likelihood you're going to experience setbacks and injuries on the way to something so ambitious.

 

[Duebrithil]

I managed to do times like that a few years ago at 41 but it took a lot of experience and messing around with the training regime (particularly strength by way of ridiculous amounts of hill reps or core training.)

My advice is to map out a bunch of milestones to achieve rather than a long term holy grail goal. It's way more motivating and keeps you focused because in all likelihood you're going to experience setbacks and injuries on the way to something so ambitious.

Amen to that.

 

[JB1981]

Question to you guys/gals who have run organized races before. I ran this race with a buddy of mine and my older cousin. My older cousin was way ahead of me and he finished with a great time. My buddy and I started at the same spot early (way in the back) and then separated around mile number 2. I never saw him again after this. I am almost positive he never got out ahead of me. I think I would have seen this happen because I was actively looking for him the whole race to see how he was making out. The reason I am bringing this up is because something odd happened when I was heading to the finish. I found him limping like he pulled out of the race but he was way ahead of me and the area that I found him at was this space where you could kind of technically cross over or turn around and head for finish line without having completed miles 8-13. Now to further support my suspicions that he may not have finished the race (our goal was to merely finish) I checked the result logs on the race website and his results info is nowhere to be found. My info is listed with race time, chip time, pace etc and the same info is available for my cousin, but my friends is not there! Is this possibly because he never finished the race, therefore his results were never recorded????

 

[Fistwell]

Question to you guys/gals who have run organized races before. I ran this race with a buddy of mine and my older cousin. My older cousin was way ahead of me and he finished with a great time. My buddy and I started at the same spot early (way in the back) and then separated around mile number 2. I never saw him again after this. I am almost positive he never got out ahead of me. I think I would have seen this happen because I was actively looking for him the whole race to see how he was making out. The reason I am bringing this up is because something odd happened when I was heading to the finish. I found him limping like he pulled out of the race but he was way ahead of me and the area that I found him at was this space where you could kind of technically cross over or turn around and head for finish line without having completed miles 8-13. Now to further support my suspicions that he may not have finished the race (our goal was to merely finish) I checked the result logs on the race website and his results info is nowhere to be found. My info is listed with race time, chip time, pace etc and the same info is available for my cousin, but my friends is not there! Is this possibly because he never finished the race, therefore his results were never recorded????

Yeah sounds like he didn't finish. Better that than cutting course (running has a rich history of people cheating, cutting course, and other shenanigans, at all levels). I have strong respect for an honest DNF, especially over an unearned finish.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

What do you guys do to prevent shin splints? Stopped running for a few months because my left shin always got so tight while running, but I can still feel it tightening up when I ran a few days ago. Can't seem to get rid of it.

I found shin splints go the more exercise you do. Specially walking at a good pace.

 

[JB1981]

Yeah sounds like he didn't finish. Better that than cutting course (running has a rich history of people cheating, cutting course, and other shenanigans, at all levels). I have strong respect for an honest DNF, especially over an unearned finish.

OMG dude! He is straight lying to me and all my friends. He said he emailed the site about his results and is awaiting their response but all signs are pointing to a DNF. I'll be really disappointed with him if this were so.

 

[Oppo]

i've got a thing where my left ankle hurts on the outside (as in left side of left ankle)- it feels "wrong" rather than sore. and it doesn't hurt much but it lasts a week and is screwing with my running. any ideas?

 

[Fistwell]

OMG dude! He is straight lying to me and all my friends. He said he emailed the site about his results and is awaiting their response but all signs are pointing to a DNF. I'll be really disappointed with him if this were so.

Oh OK, misunderstood. I mean, you probably can give him the benefit of the doubt, but... it ain't looking good. Did you have a transponder in your bib and a few time-checks along the course? It's always possible that something went wrong, but 9 times out of 10 in those cases, the electronic system did work and the person is full of shit. *shrug*

i've got a thing where my left ankle hurts on the outside (as in left side of left ankle)- it feels "wrong" rather than sore. and it doesn't hurt much but it lasts a week and is screwing with my running. any ideas?

Ankles are complicated pieces of biomechanics. Lots of bones and tendons. Hard to say anything going on what you shared. Are you a regular runner or did you just pick it up recently? Loosening it up before running, and massaging it with some arnica cream every now and then won't hurt. I'd get it checked if it persists.

 

[JB1981]

Did you have a transponder in your bib and a few time-checks along the way.

Yep. This is exactly what we had. You are understanding me fine btw. I was just getting excited learning the truth that my friend is a liar. I knew something wasn't right when I found him limping.

 

[BrassDragon]

Question to you guys/gals who have run organized races before. I ran this race with a buddy of mine and my older cousin. My older cousin was way ahead of me and he finished with a great time. My buddy and I started at the same spot early (way in the back) and then separated around mile number 2. I never saw him again after this. I am almost positive he never got out ahead of me. I think I would have seen this happen because I was actively looking for him the whole race to see how he was making out. The reason I am bringing this up is because something odd happened when I was heading to the finish. I found him limping like he pulled out of the race but he was way ahead of me and the area that I found him at was this space where you could kind of technically cross over or turn around and head for finish line without having completed miles 8-13. Now to further support my suspicions that he may not have finished the race (our goal was to merely finish) I checked the result logs on the race website and his results info is nowhere to be found. My info is listed with race time, chip time, pace etc and the same info is available for my cousin, but my friends is not there! Is this possibly because he never finished the race, therefore his results were never recorded????

Accidental cheating is a thing too, mostly missing a turn and skipping a whole loop in the route by pressing straight on.

But the best way to settle this is to look at his time splits in the practice runs leading up to the race. They should only be slightly slower than the race day splits because the adrenaline edge only carries you so far.

 

[JB1981]

Accidental cheating is a thing too, mostly missing a turn and skipping a whole loop in the route by pressing straight on.

But the best way to settle this is to look at his time splits in the practice runs leading up to the race. They should only be slightly slower than the race day splits because the adrenaline edge only carries you so far.

There is no way this could have been accciental. If he did what I think he did he would have skipped out on almost 5 miles. The area just before where the he was on the South side was clearly marked mile 8. We had to continue south and wrap back around North to finish the final stretch

 

[panda-zebra]

There is no way this could have been accciental. If he did what I think he did he would have skipped out on almost 5 miles. The area just before where the he was on the South side was clearly marked mile 8. We had to continue south and wrap back around North to finish the final stretch

People give up/get injured/whatever and just want to get their goodies and go home. Sometimes, they miss so much of the course out that they end up winning category prizes. marathoninvestigation.com is full of these kinds of things

If he's missing form the results it's likely he was missing some of the timing mats and they suggested some impossible splits. That's a good thing, the race management are on the ball and DQs him. Does the race have DNF entries at the end of the listings? I've only been in one race that actually also lists the DQs, I think others just zap the entries entirely (probably nothing to be gained by shaming them). In that spirit, I'd let your friend merrily pretend he completed the race and forget all about it, looks like race management did their job and that's that.

 

[Oppo]

Ankles are complicated pieces of biomechanics. Lots of bones and tendons. Hard to say anything going on what you shared. Are you a regular runner or did you just pick it up recently? Loosening it up before running, and massaging it with some arnica cream every now and then won't hurt. I'd get it checked if it persists.

Thanks. Yeah I know it's a bit vague. I started in January. Didn't notice this until recently. Anyways it seemed to subside, I went for a run this morning and so far so good. I think I just need to maybe expand my stretching. Had shin splints years ago until I figured out how to stretch in a way that eliminated the problem.

Anyways thanks for the advice, I will look into that cream you mentioned. I will say, all my life I have had "snapping ankles", like the tendons that pop when I walk, so it's probably related.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Well guys and gals. Today was the big spring race. This was my last chance to nail my 1'45" Half Marathon goal heading into the summer training season. I was a bit worried after my crash and burn time of 2'07" at the RnR race 2 months prior. Well it went well! Finished with a 1'43"10 (almost 5 minuate PR) and 2nd in my age category.

I know I'm not as fast as some of you guys and gals, but I have been trying to work hard. I am fairly proud that within 2 training seasons I have been able to cut my PR from 2'20" to today's 1'43"10. My last goal of the year is to finish with a 1'40" at Dallas Half this December then transition to full next spring.

 

[panda-zebra]

Well done, P, well under the 1:45!

 

[JB1981]

Well guys and gals. Today was the big spring race. This was my last chance to nail my 1'45" Half Marathon goal heading into the summer training season. I was a bit worried after my crash and burn time of 2'07" at the RnR race 2 months prior. Well it went well! Finished with a 1'43"10 (almost 5 minuate PR) and 2nd in my age category.



I know I'm not as fast as some of you guys and gals, but I have been trying to work hard. I am fairly proud that within 2 training seasons I have been able to cut my PR from 2'20" to today's 1'43"10. My last goal of the year is to finish with a 1'40" at Dallas Half this December then transition to full next spring.

Great job man. Very impressive

 

[Red_taiyaki]

Well guys and gals. Today was the big spring race. This was my last chance to nail my 1'45" Half Marathon goal heading into the summer training season. I was a bit worried after my crash and burn time of 2'07" at the RnR race 2 months prior. Well it went well! Finished with a 1'43"10 (almost 5 minuate PR) and 2nd in my age category.



I know I'm not as fast as some of you guys and gals, but I have been trying to work hard. I am fairly proud that within 2 training seasons I have been able to cut my PR from 2'20" to today's 1'43"10. My last goal of the year is to finish with a 1'40" at Dallas Half this December then transition to full next spring.

Great job man! Congrats!

My goal is to run a sub 1:50 half this year as well but my next 13.1 race won't be until August before marathon training. We'll see how this goes haha.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Great job man! Congrats!

My goal is to run a sub 1:50 half this year as well but my next 13.1 race won't be until August before marathon training. We'll see how this goes haha.

That's good. You have plenty of time. I would say what really helped me get to 1'43" so far (in order of importance):

1) persistence (not skipping any runs unless I was feeling overly tired)
2) Running most of my miles Easy
3) Running with a training group to keep me accountable
4) Having a speed work/interval/track workout once a week

If you can do these I think you'll nail it. Now some things I need to work on personally

1) I'm overweight. 174 on a 5'9" frame is too much as I'm trying to get down to sub 1'40". I think if I can work my way down to 162 the next few months that will make an incredible difference
2) see 1, but my diet isn't ideal. I don't eat bad, but I still eat far too much crap
3) I need to get better at stretching and doing some plyo (strength). My core is not as strong as it should be and my stretching (if I remember to do it) is iffy at best).

I think having a mentality of always thinking what to improve is beneficial as well.

 

[panda-zebra]

1) I'm overweight. 174 on a 5'9" frame is too much as I'm trying to get down to sub 1'40". I think if I can work my way down to 162 the next few months that will make an incredible difference
2) see 1, but my diet isn't ideal. I don't eat bad, but I still eat far too much crap
3) I need to get better at stretching and doing some plyo (strength). My core is not as strong as it should be and my stretching (if I remember to do it) is iffy at best).

I think having a mentality of always thinking what to improve is beneficial as well.

1. Have you ever used an online calculator that gives estimations on potential speed given weight loss? Probably not very scientific, but I'd like to know if there's anything worth a look.
2. Cut the crap! ;-) Read/listen to people like Scott Jurek on running and diet and try to adopt a few ideas like eating less processed stuff and more natural/raw. It can be a little odd at first and seems more hassle than the reality, but get in a good routine and you won't even crave the crap anymore, if fact you'll wince at the idea of putting it anywhere near your mouth! Disclaimer: I definitely have been known to dairy-free chocolate binge, the the tune of 600g in 15 minutes once, eek! I just don't have it around me anymore lol
3. I think lots of us fail on this one. Stretching after is most important, I always find excuses not to bother, and always regret it.

 

[Fistwell]

I binge-eat ice cream, drink wine, never stretch.

I regret nothing!

 

[panda-zebra]

I binge-eat ice cream, drink wine, never stretch.

I regret nothing!

hahaha perfection.gif

 

[thestopsign]

Ran a 5k this afternoon and got 21:58. Really tough hills in the middle mile so I'm happy with that result as I haven't been training much since my half at the end of March. I came in 8th because it was a pretty small race of like 75 people.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

1. Have you ever used an online calculator that gives estimations on potential speed given weight loss? Probably not very scientific, but I'd like to know if there's anything worth a look.
2. Cut the crap! ;-) Read/listen to people like Scott Jurek on running and diet and try to adopt a few ideas like eating less processed stuff and more natural/raw. It can be a little odd at first and seems more hassle than the reality, but get in a good routine and you won't even crave the crap anymore, if fact you'll wince at the idea of putting it anywhere near your mouth! Disclaimer: I definitely have been known to dairy-free chocolate binge, the the tune of 600g in 15 minutes once, eek! I just don't have it around me anymore lol
3. I think lots of us fail on this one. Stretching after is most important, I always find excuses not to bother, and always regret it.

Working on 2. I cut sugary drinks out years ago, I just need to get better about the other things.

 

[slow-twitch]

Almost the end of April, I made decent progress.

I'm not completely out of the hole. I don't feel like going hard yet. However my easy pace dropped significantly and my mid-longish efforts almost end up like progressive runs without trying.

Slowly building up. My goal now is to reach 120k+ weeks by autumn.
Once I feel like doing workouts I'll will be able to set more goals. Sub 40 10k would be nice this year but I have no idea how fast it will all come back once I get serious.

TLDR: Should I re-buy the exact pair I've already got, buy the "updated version" of that pair, or get a professional to check me out again and see if my form has changed.

Once I find a pair I like I buy all the stock I can find. I'm currently at my last pair of Pure Cadence 1. I'm not sure how the new revision is. I'll have to shop around this year for this first time in ages.

I recommend you to stick to what you know if it works. Gait analysis is a bit bogus in my opinion. A shoe cannot change how you run that much. It's better to fix your form if you have an issue.

Is an 18-minute 5k a relatively achievable time for a pretty in-shape person with sufficient training?

Yes it's relatively achievable if by in-shape you mean running shape. It should not take that much for a male below 40 without any deficiencies to reach that level. I would ballpark estimate it to a couple of months to 2 years depending on natural habilities, prior experience and age.

If you want a better estimate, state your age, history, last PR with date, current typical week, etc.

I binge-eat ice cream, drink wine, never stretch.

I regret nothing!

Stretching is useless at best, bad at worse.
Ice cream is very calorie dense and often sugary. Excellent post long run refuel.
Alcohol is fine as long as you don't dehydrate yourself.

What is there to regret?

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Almost the end of April, I made decent progress.

I'm not completely out of the hole. I don't feel like going hard yet. However my easy pace dropped significantly and my mid-longish efforts almost end up like progressive runs without trying.

Slowly building up. My goal now is to reach 120k+ weeks by autumn.
Once I feel like doing workouts I'll will be able to set more goals. Sub 40 10k would be nice this year but I have no idea how fast it will all come back once I get serious.



Once I find a pair I like I buy all the stock I can find. I'm currently at my last pair of Pure Cadence 1. I'm not sure how the new revision is. I'll have to shop around this year for this first time in ages.

I recommend you to stick to what you know if it works. Gait analysis is a bit bogus in my opinion. A shoe cannot change how you run that much. It's better to fix your form if you have an issue.



Yes it's relatively achievable if by in-shape you mean running shape. It should not take that much for a male below 40 without any deficiencies to reach that level. I would ballpark estimate it to a couple of months to 2 years depending on natural habilities, prior experience and age.

If you want a better estimate, state your age, history, last PR with date, current typical week, etc.



Stretching is useless at best, bad at worse.
Ice cream is very calorie dense and often sugary. Excellent post long run refuel.
Alcohol is fine as long as you don't dehydrate yourself.

What is there to regret?

Man,

When I do calf stretches they certainly feel better then next day that when I don't. Citation on that?

 

[Fistwell]

Citation on that?

There's a well documented inverse relationship between running economy and flexibility.

Craib MW, Mitchell VA, Fields KB, Cooper TR, Hopewell R, Morgan DW, The association between flexibility and running economy in sub-elite male distance runners. Medicine and Sciences in Sports and Exercise 1996 Jun;28(6):737-43.

Jones AM, Running economy is negatively related to sit-and-reach test performance in international-standard distance runners. International Journal of Sports Medicine 2002 Jan;23(1):40-3.

 

[panda-zebra]

Stretching is useless at best, bad at worse.

That might be your experience, but I doubt that's the case for absolutely everyone.

There's a well documented inverse relationship between running economy and flexibility.

Running economy doesn't count for much if you can't even walk the next day ;-)

 

[Fistwell]

Running economy doesn't count for much if you can't even walk the next day ;-)

I mean, I don't really have much of an emotional investment either way on stretching. I know there's a lot that's been said for and against it. I think it's helped me feel better when some of my muscles have felt tight. But I know a lot of knowledgeable runners are against it, apparently for good reasons according to the literature. *shrug*

 

[drtomoe123]

Even though I HATED stretching and never would do much at all when I was racing in high school and undergrad, stretching has literally changed my life over the past few years. I'm not necessarily talking about doing some static or even dynamic stretches before I run, but more like making stretching/noticing tightness in my body/whatever into a conscious, all the time thing. I used to have so many IT band/hip problems and nowadays my body feels like I'm 18 again when I'm running.

It's literally crazy how it feels like I'm slowly reacquainting myself with all of my different muscles that had been tensed into oblivion after years of stress, bad posture (especially combined with lifting weights), and overtraining.

 

[Jintor]

hey so what pants are you guys/gals wearing?

i only have like one pair of shorts i wear but it's getting cold again.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

hey so what pants are you guys/gals wearing?

i only have like one pair of shorts i wear but it's getting cold again.

Just tracksuit bottoms. Desperately need to replace them though.

 

[panda-zebra]

I mean, I don't really have much of an emotional investment either way on stretching. I know there's a lot that's been said for and against it. I think it's helped me feel better when some of my muscles have felt tight. But I know a lot of knowledgeable runners are against it, apparently for good reasons according to the literature. *shrug*

Those guys and people like slow-twitch haven't just started running a year or two ago and their circumstances are going to be entirely different to someone like myself who is old, fucked and laughably building up muscles in places they've never been needed before So that's why I think blanket statements like "stretches=lol or worse" require a little more care or context.

I get problems in my upper legs, can cramp up randomly at work or whatever, if I've run particularly hard the previous day and not done some form of simple held stretches. Can also come on around 8 miles in subsequent longer runs if I neglect too long. The more of these held stretches I do the less it bothers me - I don't do enough.

Not just running, if I'm bricklaying, especially down in footings/lower courses, if I don't stretch regularly throughout the day (dangling from scaffold/stairs/trees/anything) I'll get all kinds of difficulty just doing day-to-day things, and it definitely has knock-ons in my running. Some simple chin ups, pull ups and long held contraction stretches from the bar and I'm brand new. It all feels like very similar stuff as far as my muscles feel during and after these activities. And the older I get, the more necessary all this is.

 

[Goodlife]

Started my 10 week training plan for a 1/2 Marathon last week.
Went really good, apart from a painfull foot that had been around for a couple of weeks (reoccurring problem that flares up every so often)
Did over 40km in my first week, nothing quick, but felt pretty good.
But foot not getting any better, first km or two of any run was uncomforable, as was just walking about on it.

Popped along to a physio this morning.... foot is fucked basically. Recons it's a problem with my tendon sheath? No running, at all, for a good while.
Ice 4 times a day, given me some band exercises to do.
Also recommended me (and written me a referral letter) to see my GP to get it investigated (X-ray and blood tests) further.

Gutted. Was really hoping to smash the 1/2, now it looks like I'll be lucky to start it

 

[Fisico]

Is an 18-minute 5k a relatively achievable time for a pretty in-shape person with sufficient training?

18mn for 5k is a very good time, one you only see on people who're physically fit and followed a strict programm for a few months or have been running for years

As an example I'm still not there, though I never focused on performance nor followed any particular program, details below

Spoiler

2014
- I started running around 3 and half a year ago after not doing any sports for a few years, I had a bit of fat but not that much (1m78 75kg)
- First I ran only on Sunday 5km in half an hour then week after week I ran longer and faster until after a few months I was running 10km easily sub 1h
- I then began to run a second time then a third time during the week, I also did my first "race" a 10 km with obstacles in around 50mn taking it easy.
- I ran my first 10km race in 46mn late November 2014, at this point I was already down to 68kgs I think

2015
- Early in the year my knees began to hurt which in retrospect was easily predictable
- Still managed to run my first half in March in 1h43mn, threw to the garbage my old running shoes and bought new much better ones (where its price had 3 numbers rather than two in it)
- At this point I also stopped running three times a week and decided to some some bicycle the Sunday instead to let my knees rest a bit more, it took a few long weeks but somehow healed by itself
- In June I ran a 10km in 43mn38s, it was me getting better but also the race being more flat than the previous overall
- In October I ran my second half, 1h39mn
- In November I started a new job, it changed a lot in my training habit because I was usually running almost alone at my own pace always giving my maximum each time, here I was training during lunch break at a much slower pace with colleagues.
I had no idea where that would put me performance wise until my next race

2016
- In February I ran a 10km in 41mn, while running I couldn't believe my pace thinking I was going way to fast and that my legs/body will not be able to handle it (ran the 5k in 20mn), my worries were misplaced as I finished in great shape in the end
- In March I ran a half marathon in 1h34mn also finishing in great shape
- In April I ran my first marathon in 3h39mn, my main objective was to finish so I didn't worry about my time at all
- In June I ran a 10km in 39mn57s, my objective was <40mn, it was hard but I managed to do it
- The same month I also did my first short triathlon, being terrible at swimming, ok with a bicycle and good at running (and shit how it's hard for the legs to switch from bicycle to running)
- At this point I was around 67kgs, after two weeks of vacation my weight suddenly went down to 63kgs in July which was surprising, since then I improved my eating habit and my weight has been stable around 63-64kgs
- Did a second short triathlon in October, improving a lot
- In November I ran a 10km in a notsoflat race, 39mn20s improving again but suffering a bit at the end, I think I ran the first 5km in sub 19

2017
- In February at the same 10km as last year I did 38mn44s, the weather was horrible (raining non stop, sub 5°) and I felt like shit the whole race, still managed to beat my previous time. Don't think I was able to do 18m or less on 5k at this point but I probably was close
- In March ran an half in 1h28mn despite an horrible weather once again
- In April ran my second marathon in 3h14mn
- I have triathlon in May, olympic length this time, hope it'll be fun
- I also have a 10km scheduled in early June, my objective is sub 38'
- And a third marathon in late October, no objective besides beating my previous time as I'm unsure of how and if I'll be able to maintain my regular training starting this summer

At first I was writing this as an answer but it ended up being more about me so not sure if it's that useful
I'll still post it spoiler tag because it might still be helpful, as stated I never followed any kind of training program, I was able to improved this fast despite that because I'm still 26 I guess.
If my objective was to run 5km in sub 18' I probably would've been able to do so in early 2016, but as can be seen in the races I did, I focused on longer distance first and then other sports, what's important is that I was being very regular on my training, only skipping during vacations or on very rare occasions.

NB: I always stretch my legs after running

 

[The_Inquisitor]

hey so what pants are you guys/gals wearing?

i only have like one pair of shorts i wear but it's getting cold again.

Do yourself a favor and invest in some nice running tights. There are many brands but I am partial to the nike ones I purchased. If you are feeling shy you can wear compression boxer shorts under them (I do).

 

[soxinthebox]

Started my 10 week training plan for a 1/2 Marathon last week.
Went really good, apart from a painfull foot that had been around for a couple of weeks (reoccurring problem that flares up every so often)
Did over 40km in my first week, nothing quick, but felt pretty good.
But foot not getting any better, first km or two of any run was uncomforable, as was just walking about on it.

Popped along to a physio this morning.... foot is fucked basically. Recons it's a problem with my tendon sheath? No running, at all, for a good while.
Ice 4 times a day, given me some band exercises to do.
Also recommended me (and written me a referral letter) to see my GP to get it investigated (X-ray and blood tests) further.

Gutted. Was really hoping to smash the 1/2, now it looks like I'll be lucky to start it

I'd rather take it easy to heal up so you don't do further damage and aren't able to run in the long run

 

[panda-zebra]

Popped along to a physio this morning.... foot is fucked basically. Recons it's a problem with my tendon sheath? No running, at all, for a good while.

Where exactly do you get the pain?

At first I was writing this as an answer but it ended up being more about me so not sure if it's that useful

I like reading this stuff and it offers a realistic and sensible idea of what might be possible and how soon. Lots of decent club runners I've met will never run an 18 minute 5k. For the few who run 15:xx and 16:xx, there's far more that do well to hit 19:xx (but I mostly chat with others way up in the vet categories like myself, so...).

 

[TTOOLL]

wtf, when my last run data went from Samsung Health to Strava it cut 3 minutes from the original time. I don't like cheating, fuck. I like my Gear Fit 2 but I'm starting to regret buying it due to the software. Compatibility is terrible and Samsung Health is not that good.

Fortunately it gave me 1 year of premium membership of Endomondo, so I'll try to use it next time. NRC is still my favorite running app overall. It lacks a full featured website though.

 

[Red_taiyaki]

That's good. You have plenty of time. I would say what really helped me get to 1'43" so far (in order of importance):

1) persistence (not skipping any runs unless I was feeling overly tired)
2) Running most of my miles Easy
3) Running with a training group to keep me accountable
4) Having a speed work/interval/track workout once a week

If you can do these I think you'll nail it. Now some things I need to work on personally

1) I'm overweight. 174 on a 5'9" frame is too much as I'm trying to get down to sub 1'40". I think if I can work my way down to 162 the next few months that will make an incredible difference
2) see 1, but my diet isn't ideal. I don't eat bad, but I still eat far too much crap
3) I need to get better at stretching and doing some plyo (strength). My core is not as strong as it should be and my stretching (if I remember to do it) is iffy at best).

I think having a mentality of always thinking what to improve is beneficial as well.

Yah, for me running most (like 80%) of my miles easy has been the most difficult thing to learn but I've finally started understanding the how and why after about 1.5 years of running.

Last year I completely killed myself after I ran a 1'52" half and ended up missing a big chunk of base building leading up to my first marathon due to a 12-week injury. Just started doing track workouts once a week at 5:30 before work with my running team so we'll see how this goes.

Personally, this isn't much an excuse, but I've gotten back into binge gaming thanks to Nier: Automata and Persona 5 which has led me to being more tired for workouts than usual (and needing double shots of espresso) lol. Thankfully almost done w P5, which means I can get my sleep back!

 

[JB1981]

My knees are in a lot of pain after completing my first half. It's not the kneecaps themselves but the little bone that juts out just on the anterior part of the knee. My calves are also shot. Been this way since finishing Sat. Is this normal?

 

[autumnleaf]

Yah, for me running most (like 80%) of my miles easy has been the most difficult thing to learn but I've finally started understanding the how and why after about 1.5 years of running.

I did the same thing after buying this book

My PBs fell within a month of roughly following that. I think before you try it it is difficult to understand the benefit of running really easy miles.

 

[Red_taiyaki]

I did the same thing after buying this book

My PBs fell within a month of roughly following that. I think before you try it it is difficult to understand the benefit of running really easy miles.

Yah, I was listening to running podcasts and figured that it goes in line w/ what my coach has been telling us so I transitioned fairly quickly- helped that my coach told me what pace I should be pegging for on most runs (roughly 10-10:30ish).

In the beginning, it honestly felt like I was regressing but then I'm just starting to realize the benefits now.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

I did the same thing after buying this book

My PBs fell within a month of roughly following that. I think before you try it it is difficult to understand the benefit of running really easy miles.

The clear benefits are that today I feel less tired than my 40 mile peak week. That 40 mile peak week I capped my fastest running at around 8:15/mile during my peak speed portions. Otherwise I stayed in the 9 mile range. My race yesterday averaged a 7:52/mile. So it seems the sweet spot is running at least 1-2 minutes slower than your goal pace during most of your training.

 

[Goodlife]

Where exactly do you get the pain?

Please note, my ankle doesn't usually look like this

 

[Fistwell]

Did you sprain it or something? Looks like a bad sprain. (I know nothing of tendon sheaths)

 

[Goodlife]

Did you sprain it or something? Looks like a bad sprain. (I know nothing of tendon sheaths)

No, nothing that i noticed.
It's been bad, off and on, for a good while.
But very bad over the last couple of weeks, just not getting better, infact it's got a lot worse.

Although i did run a shit load last week.

 

[TTOOLL]

I did the same thing after buying this book

My PBs fell within a month of roughly following that. I think before you try it it is difficult to understand the benefit of running really easy miles.

As I'm not a regular runner and having never done any kind of run training I'm kinda shocked hearing about 80/20 for the first time lol

I've got a question, can I do 80/20 within a run? Example, if I run 10k, 8k would be at a slow pace, and the last 2k at fast pace. Does this even count?