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GAF Running Club |OT| - Couch to Marathons, All abilities

Only about ~200-250 miles is my estimate. I can't see much wear on the heel part of the sole, but the arch area looks a bit worn out.

Mileage-wise I'd say you're fine (it is usually recommended to change shoes between 300-500 miles), but if you think the wear is significant enough it might be time to retire them.

Otherwise I'd take an easy week and ice the offending feet, see how it responds
 
So there is a running thread :O

Anyway yesterday I failed to complete 5km. I was on 4.5km when I suddenly felt something coming up from inside me, I puked a little in my mouth(sadly not as awesome as The Exorcist) then I got a side stitch. Any idea as to why that happened? I'm thinking it was what I ate, which was a form of steak with mushroom pepper sauce.
 

Google

Member
So there is a running thread :O

Anyway yesterday I failed to complete 5km. I was on 4.5km when I suddenly felt something coming up from inside me, I puked a little in my mouth(sadly not as awesome as The Exorcist) then I got a side stitch. Any idea as to why that happened? I'm thinking it was what I ate, which was a form of steak with mushroom pepper sauce.

Yeah. Probably the food. How long had it been since you'd eaten?

I've read that it should be a couple of hours between eating and running.
 
Yeah. Probably the food. How long had it been since you'd eaten?

I've read that it should be a couple of hours between eating and running.
Probably six to seven hours. I didn't have this problem before and I always eat a lot six to seven hours before running. I'm swearing off McDonalds, I bet it was the sodium content of the thing I ordered, as I was quite dehydrated for the hours leading up to the run even though I drank a lot.
 

Google

Member
Probably six to seven hours. I didn't have this problem before and I always eat a lot six to seven hours before running. I'm swearing off McDonalds, I bet it was the sodium content of the thing I ordered, as I was quite dehydrated for the hours leading up to the run even though I drank a lot.

Weird. Sorry to hear that.

Are you feeling better now?

I had a tough run today also - but no throwing up. Just a quick pace and hot weather. Feeling it right now.
 
Yeah, I am now, thanks! I read about it on Google and it seems it's either I pushed myself a bit too harder this time around, I had lactic acid buildup on my stomach(hence why I'm blaming why I ate), or I'm not hydrated enough. I'm a bit disappointed in myself because this is the first time it has happened where I can't complete 5km.

What are you feeling? Ah, so what you're feeling has lingered after your run? How long has it been since you ran?
 

Fistwell

Member
Gemüsestäbchen;225185310 said:
Cool about the park, it's crazy how far it goes, about 30KM to Freising (according to google maps) would be a fun long run one day?
That's the plan tomorrow, riding the train to Freising then jogging back.
 

Cheech

Member
Love seeing this thread pop up from time to time.

So, I bought a Garmin Forerunner 935 as an upgrade to my 235.

Holy *shit* is this an awesome watch. It fixes all the annoyances of my 235 (which, granted, is still a very nice watch). It's like a best of breed watch of everything else in their line.

It has the battery life, awesome screen, and power of the Fenix line.
It has the advanced running metrics and light weight of the 630.
It has the perfected Fitbit-like functionality of the Vivo line (it actually alerts me when I hit goals, unlike my 235).

I don't see myself needing anything else in a running watch ever. I've done two races with it now, and it's been awesome in both of them. The optical heart rate seems to be a generation above my 235, as it's faster to react and generally more accurate.
 
Hey running GAF need some advice. I'm formally training during the summer for the first time in my life. After I did 6x600yd repeats in HR zone 5 I did an easy 40 minute run in 90 degree weather. I'm using the heart zone feature of my watch to stay in zone 2 during Easy runs. What I noticed is that my average pace ended up being around a 11'20 tonight. During the fall/winter I was closer to averaging a 8'50" to 9'15" mile. Does this slowdown make sense with the temperature increase outdoors? Or should I be pushing myself a little harder. Tomorrow we are doing hill repeats so I think being more conservative is better. Thanks.
 
Hey running GAF need some advice. I'm formally training during the summer for the first time in my life. After I did 6x600yd repeats in HR zone 5 I did an easy 40 minute run in 90 degree weather. I'm using the heart zone feature of my watch to stay in zone 2 during Easy runs. What I noticed is that my average pace ended up being around a 11'20 tonight. During the fall/winter I was closer to averaging a 8'50" to 9'15" mile. Does this slowdown make sense with the temperature increase outdoors? Or should I be pushing myself a little harder. Tomorrow we are doing hill repeats so I think being more conservative is better. Thanks.

Heat definitely affects performance. You may acclimate to the heat, which will boost your performance on hot and cold weather but it will always be harder to run in the warmer months.

I think being conservative is the right choice, always be mindful of your body and don't push too hard.
 
Hey running GAF need some advice. I'm formally training during the summer for the first time in my life. After I did 6x600yd repeats in HR zone 5 I did an easy 40 minute run in 90 degree weather. I'm using the heart zone feature of my watch to stay in zone 2 during Easy runs. What I noticed is that my average pace ended up being around a 11'20 tonight. During the fall/winter I was closer to averaging a 8'50" to 9'15" mile. Does this slowdown make sense with the temperature increase outdoors? Or should I be pushing myself a little harder. Tomorrow we are doing hill repeats so I think being more conservative is better. Thanks.

Heat causes a lot of additional stress on the body because it won't have ways to get rid of the temperature build-up while running. It's not weird to feel like you're having a fever as your brain tries to adapt. If you're not hydrated properly, it gets even worse. One trap is that the warmth does greatly loosen your muscles so you may feel more flexible and gung-ho when starting out, but what you gain there is quickly lost when your internal climate control kicks in. Granted, you may have some good genes to cope with it better than most but heat really is a killer of performance.

I always look at the length of exposure when training in heat - the intensity isn't the problem, it's how long I stay out under a blistering sun on a baking surface. A little more intensity, like hill reps, is great because of the loosened muscles but I'd cut back on the duration to balance it out.
 
Heat definitely affects performance. You may acclimate to the heat, which will boost your performance on hot and cold weather but it will always be harder to run in the warmer months.

I think being conservative is the right choice, always be mindful of your body and don't push too hard.

Heat causes a lot of additional stress on the body because it won't have ways to get rid of the temperature build-up while running. It's not weird to feel like you're having a fever as your brain tries to adapt. If you're not hydrated properly, it gets even worse. One trap is that the warmth does greatly loosen your muscles so you may feel more flexible and gung-ho when starting out, but what you gain there is quickly lost when your internal climate control kicks in. Granted, you may have some good genes to cope with it better than most but heat really is a killer of performance.

I always look at the length of exposure when training in heat - the intensity isn't the problem, it's how long I stay out under a blistering sun on a baking surface. A little more intensity, like hill reps, is great because of the loosened muscles but I'd cut back on the duration to balance it out.

Thanks. Heat index is supposed to hit 103 today. I carry a 20oz bottle when I run but I'm worried that's it not enough.
 

fester

Banned
Love seeing this thread pop up from time to time.

So, I bought a Garmin Forerunner 935 as an upgrade to my 235.

Holy *shit* is this an awesome watch. It fixes all the annoyances of my 235 (which, granted, is still a very nice watch). It's like a best of breed watch of everything else in their line.

It has the battery life, awesome screen, and power of the Fenix line.
It has the advanced running metrics and light weight of the 630.
It has the perfected Fitbit-like functionality of the Vivo line (it actually alerts me when I hit goals, unlike my 235).

I don't see myself needing anything else in a running watch ever. I've done two races with it now, and it's been awesome in both of them. The optical heart rate seems to be a generation above my 235, as it's faster to react and generally more accurate.

I got the 935 to replace the Fenix 5 that didn't work well for me and I completely agree, it's the best running watch I've ever owned.
 
I run the same amount year round, but this is probably my least favorite time of year to run. The heat and the humidity are incredibly draining. Pace is slower too, or it takes more work to keep the same pace that I do in January.

I much prefer winter running over summer running.
 
Thanks. Heat index is supposed to hit 103 today. I carry a 20oz bottle when I run but I'm worried that's it not enough.

How did the training go? Much heat, enough water?

wtf

On Week 4, Day 2 of my Hal Higdon 10K Novice Plan and ran the two miles in 15:22 (7:41 pace). WHILE HUNGOVER. Just a couple weeks ago I was hard-pressed to get my time to 9:30 pace.

this is fucking awesome are you kidding me

:D :D :D

I run the same amount year round, but this is probably my least favorite time of year to run. The heat and the humidity are incredibly draining. Pace is slower too, or it takes more work to keep the same pace that I do in January.

I much prefer winter running over summer running.

Preach. I like to think of summer running as training with an additional degree of difficulty. Once the heat mellows out the same effort means faster pace.
 

partime

Member
Well I jogged my 4th marathon during the Stockholm Marathon and I still can't shake off run-walking after hitting my wall at mile 19~21. I've never been able to fully "run" a marathon non-stop :(
(time was 4:47)

I've only trained running 3x a week, so I guess I'll need to exercise more often. For all of you marathoners, how many days a week do you run?
 
Well I jogged my 4th marathon during the Stockholm Marathon and I still can't shake off run-walking after hitting my wall at mile 19~21. I've never been able to fully "run" a marathon non-stop :(
(time was 4:47)

I've only trained running 3x a week, so I guess I'll need to exercise more often. For all of you marathoners, how many days a week do you run?

During the "off-season" anywhere between 4-5 days a week (20-30mi) not including 1x day of "extra mileage" from cross-training on elliptical or indoor cycling. Once marathon season starts, it can go up to 6-7x times a week (40-50mi). Ran my first last year in 4:29:50 but that was only because my quads gave out, was originally on pace for 4:00:00, so I've been putting in extra strength training the past few months to try and tackle the course again. Seems to have gotten rid of my runner's knee for the most part so here's hoping!
 

mdsfx

Member
Just completed my first sub-21-minute 5k at 20:45. Finally! And it was through some rough orchard grounds no less. That was a long time coming.
 
Couldn't get to the gym Thursday or Friday, but was able to hit 11 and 5 today in my 30. I was sheeting sweat, but it didn't feel that bad at all.

15 straight by end of July seems within reach.
 

crispyben

Member
Well I jogged my 4th marathon during the Stockholm Marathon and I still can't shake off run-walking after hitting my wall at mile 19~21. I've never been able to fully "run" a marathon non-stop :(
(time was 4:47)

I've only trained running 3x a week, so I guess I'll need to exercise more often. For all of you marathoners, how many days a week do you run?
I only ran one marathon, just under 4 hours, and I trained 10 weeks, 3 times a week: mostly track sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, long run on Sunday.
 
Does it matter if you run the whole way through or not when it comes to running as cardio? I walked twice today and instead of hitting 30 to 31 minutes I was surprised I only added a minute to my total duration of the 5k for a total of 32 minutes.
 

Spades

Member
Does it matter if you run the whole way through or not when it comes to running as cardio? I walked twice today and instead of hitting 30 to 31 minutes I was surprised I only added a minute to my total duration of the 5k for a total of 32 minutes.

Your heart-rate is more important than anything else when it comes to cardio. If you're struggling to get through without walking, why not drop your overall pace a little to make it more sustainable over the full 5k?
 

Fisico

Member
Well I jogged my 4th marathon during the Stockholm Marathon and I still can't shake off run-walking after hitting my wall at mile 19~21. I've never been able to fully "run" a marathon non-stop :(
(time was 4:47)

I've only trained running 3x a week, so I guess I'll need to exercise more often. For all of you marathoners, how many days a week do you run?

Two times a week (45m-1h), years ago I tried to run 3 times a week but I suffered of knee injury because of that so instead I make a 50-80km bicycle session the week-end.

At the peak of my program I also used to fit 1 swimming training between the two running sessions.

I also walk daily anywhere between 30mn-2h.
 
Your heart-rate is more important than anything else when it comes to cardio. If you're struggling to get through without walking, why not drop your overall pace a little to make it more sustainable over the full 5k?
I'm not actually struggling, I just became conservative today because I was afraid of puking and having a side-stitch again. I think the addition of music to my running while it made it more enjoyable has led to some consequences like not being able to get into a proper rhythm for breathing which I think is very important.
 

B4s5C

Member
Just joined the Strava group after getting back into running these past few weeks.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress!
 
Well I've signed up for my 3rd half marathon of the year after a bit of a break. I'm super out of running shape right now, but I have 2 months to train up. The few runs I have been doing have been cut short due to the extreme heat and humidity of the Mississippi summer. I might have to figure out how wake up to run at 5am to train sufficiently.
 

Fistwell

Member
It's been... surprisingly not so bad here in sunny Munich-Bavaria
I take that back. Heat sucks. Two by 5k tempo, first 5 went fine, second one made me die a little.
8l5h5yj.png
 
It's horrible right now in Texas. There is a tropical storm coming through this weekend that will at least get us back into the 80's for a short while.

QUESTION:

I have been training/racing in my Gel Cumulus the past year. However I know these shoes are heavy as fuck and i'm contemplating getting some lighter shoes for my speed work/races. Any recommendations for a good starter neutral pair of shoes for half marathon distance? Thanks!
 

Stanng243

Member
I need guidance Gaf. I'm completely out of shape, and I'm considering trying to run a marathon next October. I figure the rest of my family is torturing themselves by doing Iron mans and running marathons, why not torture myself also. I'm just clueless on where to start training. Any good couch to marathons out there?
 

Fistwell

Member
I need guidance Gaf. I'm completely out of shape, and I'm considering trying to run a marathon next October. I figure the rest of my family is torturing themselves by doing Iron mans and running marathons, why not torture myself also. I'm just clueless on where to start training. Any good couch to marathons out there?
Just how out of shape is completely out of shape? You'll find beginners marathon plans, but they usually target people who run a little already. 26.2 is quite the distance. What's your age / height / weight / weekly mileage (I assume 0?)?
 
QUESTION:

I have been training/racing in my Gel Cumulus the past year. However I know these shoes are heavy as fuck and i'm contemplating getting some lighter shoes for my speed work/races. Any recommendations for a good starter neutral pair of shoes for half marathon distance? Thanks!

I love my Kinvara, awesome pair of shoes and I think they are well suited as a transition shoe from something with excessive drop to something with almost no offset (only 4mm drop). Also heard great things about the Topo ST-2 but haven't tried them yet.

I need guidance Gaf. I'm completely out of shape, and I'm considering trying to run a marathon next October. I figure the rest of my family is torturing themselves by doing Iron mans and running marathons, why not torture myself also. I'm just clueless on where to start training. Any good couch to marathons out there?

I think the most sensible thing would be to start with a C25K program and once that is complete move onto a 5-to-10K (assuming of course, you can't already run those distances). Once you get a handle on 10K I'd start upping the weekly mileage and incorporating long runs into your training.

Maybe look into Jack Daniels, FIRST, Jeff Galloway or Hal Higdon for a more structured training plan. All of those have novice marathon training plans, but I don't know how well suited they are to someone who is out of shape, and you might be better off following them once you have some miles under your belt.

Congratulations on your resolution of running a marathon and best of luck!

EDIT: Beaten by Fistwell. I shake my fist at you good sir.
 

Stanng243

Member
Just how out of shape is completely out of shape? You'll find beginners marathon plans, but they usually target people who run a little already. 26.2 is quite the distance. What's your age / height / weight / weekly mileage (I assume 0?)?

I'm 41, 5'10, 300 and 0. Yeah, I know 26.2 is quite the distance. 2 of my brothers have done half iron mans, and are doing a full iron man later this summer. And my other brother tried to run a marathon, but it was cancelled halfway through. And this year my Dad's doing a Spartan, so I need to step up. We're a little competitive, although I've been too lazy for far too long.
 

Fistwell

Member
I'm 41, 5'10, 300 and 0. Yeah, I know 26.2 is quite the distance. 2 of my brothers have done half iron mans, and are doing a full iron man later this summer. And my other brother tried to run a marathon, but it was cancelled halfway through. And this year my Dad's doing a Spartan, so I need to step up. We're a little competitive, although I've been too lazy for far too long.
Alright, for reference, I'm roughly your age (turning 40 this year), slightly taller and used to be of a comparable weight. Took me several years of consistent running to get myself in shape to even consider doing a marathon.

As Duebrithil mentioned (I tip my hat to you, good Sir), a couch-to-5K would be a great start to get you into running. If you want to be able to deal with a marathon, you need to learn to deal with a 5K first. Then from there you can start building up mileage and fitness, and branch into marathon training, or some intermediate goal; people typically stretch goal distances progressively, from 5, to 10, to semi, to full M (not that you specifically need to do that).

You're your own man and set your own goals, but having walked the path you're embarking on, I'll stress that it's in your own interest not to underestimate the physical and mental strain of running (it is difficult, significantly more so than in-suspension exercise such as cycling and swimming), and not to underestimate the distance of a marathon. If you pick up running by the wrong side of it, it'll kick your ass (shin splints, stress fractures, tendinitis, etc). Ambitious goals are good. Unreasonable goals can be dangerous.

I also want to mention that running is a pure, honest and beautiful sport as well. There is no cheating in running (short of doping, but we're not going there). You get out of it exactly what you put in. Hard work and smart training yield results. There are no shortcuts, and when you toe the starting line, you are what you made yourself to be.

Best of luck and don't hesitate if you want more specific tips on how to concretely proceed going forward.
 
I'm 41, 5'10, 300 and 0. Yeah, I know 26.2 is quite the distance. 2 of my brothers have done half iron mans, and are doing a full iron man later this summer. And my other brother tried to run a marathon, but it was cancelled halfway through. And this year my Dad's doing a Spartan, so I need to step up. We're a little competitive, although I've been too lazy for far too long.

Fistwell and Dueb have mentioned this, but seriously start with a couch to 5k and focus on losing weight. Honestly you are bound to struggle distance running at that weight and end up hurting your knees in the process. Start with daily walks and fixing your diet a bit and work your way to brief intervals of jogging. My other piece of advice is to not take two days off in a row. That is when you lose the habit.
 
^Exactly, I think having milestones along the way is good motivation-wise and allows you to have a more grounded perception of your progress.

As a former overweight person who now runs, let me make a similar offer to Fistwell's: don't hesitate to ask anything.

You get out of it exactly what you put in. Hard work and smart training yield results. There are no shortcuts, and when you toe the starting line, you are what you made yourself to be.

This is beautiful. Thank you for writing it.
 
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