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

Pedrito

Member
Is it bad that my average heart rate is around 194ish while running 5k?

I think it depends on your age (the younger you are the higher HR tends to be). And also your pace obviously. Are you running below 20 minutes?

But that seems high. My average is usually around 152-153, but I think I have the opposite problem.
 
I think it depends on your age (the younger you are the higher HR tends to be). And also your pace obviously. Are you running below 20 minutes?

But that seems high. My average is usually around 152-153, but I think I have the opposite problem.

Age 22 and I alternate running/walking for 30 min. My heart rate ramps up to 194ish while running and goes back down to 140ish while walking.

This is also my first time running for exercise ever.
 

Fisico

Member
Age 22 and I alternate running/walking for 30 min. My heart rate ramps up to 194ish while running and goes back down to 140ish while walking.

This is also my first time running for exercise ever.


Both values are unusually high.
What's your heart rate when resting?

Anyway the values seem doubtful so see question in the post above
 
Does running in heat help with running in cold weather?

Today was one of the hardest runs I have ever done, but I am hoping it will be worth it for my October marathon.
 
Does running in heat help with running in cold weather?

Today was one of the hardest runs I have ever done, but I am hoping it will be worth it for my October marathon.

Yes, you will see significant gains in the fall if you trained through the summer heat. I had friends drop 10's of minutes off their marathon PR's in the fall.

Well just got back from my first 1'35" training long run. I got my ass handed to me. We ran our warmup mile around a 9'10" then went into an 8'10" for the next 5. I kept up for the first 4 miles but then I had to drop back to about a 8'40 to 8'50". Clearly I am the weakest one in the group right now. But it's expected seeing my PR was a 1'43 and I was in 1'50" training in the spring. We are going to keep the same weekly mileage/plan for the next 4 weeks to build a nice base which should give me some time to catch up to the group hopefully. But man, with the 254 ft of elevation gain and the Texas humidity it was brutal.
 

panda-zebra

Member
went out for a long slow run, planned to get up in the moors and see a few landmarks.found some cheeky little trails to help get me there off the tarmac but got lost and ended up ankle-deep in bog and lost my shoe at one point, d'oh! So there was a big boring plod over the tops after that. Worst bit was about 21 miles in I was in the direction of home and got tempted to pop into a shop and stuff my face, didn't eat in the 5 hours before setting out - daft. Large bag of Hula Hoops and 1l Granny-spec Lucozade seemed to fire me up at first, but soon after it all got a bit fighty inside and wanted to come right back out lol, proper pain as well. I've seen ultra runners eat crap like salty hula hoops and sugar crap drinks, but I think I'll steer well clear from now on and stick to stuff I know that works for me, least I did in now and not during the 24 hour race I'm doing next month. Still feel quite delicate hours later.
 

danm999

Member
Did the Sydney City2Surf today.

It's 14KM and I wanted to get under an hour, ended up doing it in 59:26, which was pretty thrilling.
 
Congratulations! How was the race? The Strava activity makes it seem a little bit hilly.

Second half had some hills that didn't exactly help but the atmosphere and weather helped. Also been trying to do more hills on my own time which helps.


Oh and this bus home is full of already drink football fans. Weee!
 

dralla

Member
What do ya'll usually eat before running? Lets say you're going to run a 5K.

I'm not very hungry in the morning, which is when I usually run, so I think running on an empty stomach is hurting me. I'm gonna try eating a banana and some greek yogurt before my run today and see if I notice much of a difference.
 

JB1981

Member
What do ya'll usually eat before running? Lets say you're going to run a 5K.

I'm not very hungry in the morning, which is when I usually run, so I think running on an empty stomach is hurting me. I'm gonna try eating a banana and some greek yogurt before my run today and see if I notice much of a difference.

Banana or granola bar should be more than enough for a 5k.
 

Fisico

Member
What do ya'll usually eat before running? Lets say you're going to run a 5K.

I'm not very hungry in the morning, which is when I usually run, so I think running on an empty stomach is hurting me. I'm gonna try eating a banana and some greek yogurt before my run today and see if I notice much of a difference.

5k?
Nothing :p

More seriously you're forgetting one important thing when asking your question when do you run.

For example I run before lunch, so besides my usual breakfast after I wake up I litterally eat nothing more (and it makes my lunch even more enjoyable afterwards!)

When I have a race though I tend to eat more, if it's a 10k a banana on top of my oats+almond milk + orange juice, if it's a half marathon I add a plain yogurt, if it's a marathon... maybe even more, don't really remember.
 
What do ya'll usually eat before running? Lets say you're going to run a 5K.

I'm not very hungry in the morning, which is when I usually run, so I think running on an empty stomach is hurting me. I'm gonna try eating a banana and some greek yogurt before my run today and see if I notice much of a difference.

In my experience it really depends on how close to your run you eat.

Over 3 hours and I would eat normal food and not worry about it, should be well into your system by then. Under 3 hours? I would be light as possible. Preferably mushy. So banana or a few bits of other kinds of fruit is a good idea.

TBH its something I am still trying to fully nail down myself. It is a bit of trial and error.
 

Fistwell

Member
What do ya'll usually eat before running? Lets say you're going to run a 5K.

I'm not very hungry in the morning, which is when I usually run, so I think running on an empty stomach is hurting me. I'm gonna try eating a banana and some greek yogurt before my run today and see if I notice much of a difference.
Technically, you don't need anything for a 5K, but it'd probably help you a bit. I would eat some time before heading out, digestion diverts part of the blood flow, meaning less blood for the legs and you going slower. I used to eat about 2hrs before heading out. In terms of what you eat, some low glycemic index carbs would be a good call. You don't want to spike your blood glucose and then crash. I like oats with some crap on it. The oats give you carbs but also fibers, which slows digestion and give you a more gradual release of energy (or something). Bananas are supposed to be good too. If not used to eat before a run, I would go progressively (don't stuff your face the first time around) and give it a reasonable amount of time before running. Caffeine is awesome, I would gorge on coffee until right before I go (but then I'll have to have a pit stop at some point along the way). You can also mess around with gels and sport drinks, although that's more of a try-hard hobby jogger thing imo (I've been messing around with gels and sport drinks...).
 
Woke up this morning and my legs are cooked. Man hasn't been this bad in a while! Hopefully a bike ride this afternoon will help loosen things up.

Same. I used to run and cycle a lot in my early 20's. I'm 30 now and really feel like I've let my self go a bit. Just recently started to get back into the swing of things thanks to this thread.
 

dralla

Member
Technically, you don't need anything for a 5K, but it'd probably help you a bit. I would eat some time before heading out, digestion diverts part of the blood flow, meaning less blood for the legs and you going slower. I used to eat about 2hrs before heading out. In terms of what you eat, some low glycemic index carbs would be a good call. You don't want to spike your blood glucose and then crash. I like oats with some crap on it. The oats give you carbs but also fibers, which slows digestion and give you a more gradual release of energy (or something). Bananas are supposed to be good too. If not used to eat before a run, I would go progressively (don't stuff your face the first time around) and give it a reasonable amount of time before running. Caffeine is awesome, I would gorge on coffee until right before I go (but then I'll have to have a pit stop at some point along the way). You can also mess around with gels and sport drinks, although that's more of a try-hard hobby jogger thing imo (I've been messing around with gels and sport drinks...).

I went with a banana and a bit of Fage greek yogurt about 30-40 minutes before I ran. I noticed yesterday that my legs were tired, more so than me being out of breath, which caused me to stop running. Today it went better. Can't say if it was a direct result of eating or not but my legs felt good all the way through. Now I just need to work on my endurance a bit. I haven't been able to consistently run because my old running shoes were giving me trouble. Now that I've got my shoe situation figured out, I can hopefully get up to 5K distance. I can run about two miles at the moment (which is clearly not that impressive compared to all the marathon runners up in here). There's a couple 5K's coming up in October that I'd like to try and finish. I grew up playing a lot of sports so I've always been more of a short-distance runner, so switching to long(er)-distance is quite the adjustment. I'm gonna try incorporating high intensity interval running into my weekly routine as I enjoy sprinting quite a bit and supposedly it helps with endurance.
 
I am really bad at eating before my races. Before halfs I will typically down a Gu gel packet 15 mins before. I am going to experiment this fall w/ eating before my runs to practice.
 

panda-zebra

Member
about 30-40 minutes before I ran

For most people that's too close. Only exercise I can do comfortably after eating is rowing. For running, 3-4 hours is a time period that works for me, for a morning 5k I wouldn't be eating at all, just a cup of black Yorkshire Tea. Did my first evening 5k recently and didn't eat for 4 hours before.

You can run for 10-15 miles on empty, just a matter of building up to the distance patiently and not forcing it. And rest is every bit as important as the effort. Oh and a structured programme like c25k is better than winging it. I don't think high intensity intervals are what you should be looking at right now, just keep it steady, sensible and in a zone that doesn't feel shit and is actually enjoyable... you can do all that speed work later when you want to improve times, not now when you don't have the distance in your legs.

I am really bad at eating before my races. Before halfs I will typically down a Gu gel packet 15 mins before. I am going to experiment this fall w/ eating before my runs to practice.

Gels are fine for supplying a little fuel mid-race in a convenient transportable pouch, but if you're going to consume something before just have real food (Medjool dates - nature's energy gels!). 15 minutes before though all I'd go near is a sip or two of water. Can't see any benefit to a gel pre-race, I'd have thought you'd start fuelling 10 miles+ in for longer races and a half shouldn't need fuelling it's already in the legs. Isn't it kinda like working against your body giving it a hit of gloop before you've even got going?
 
For most people that's too close. Only exercise I can do comfortably after eating is rowing. For running, 3-4 hours is a time period that works for me, for a morning 5k I wouldn't be eating at all, just a cup of black Yorkshire Tea. Did my first evening 5k recently and didn't eat for 4 hours before.

You can run for 10-15 miles on empty, just a matter of building up to the distance patiently and not forcing it. And rest is every bit as important as the effort. Oh and a structured programme like c25k is better than winging it. I don't think high intensity intervals are what you should be looking at right now, just keep it steady, sensible and in a zone that doesn't feel shit and is actually enjoyable... you can do all that speed work later when you want to improve times, not now when you don't have the distance in your legs.



Gels are fine for supplying a little fuel mid-race in a convenient transportable pouch, but if you're going to consume something before just have real food (Medjool dates - nature's energy gels!). 15 minutes before though all I'd go near is a sip or two of water. Can't see any benefit to a gel pre-race, I'd have thought you'd start fuelling 10 miles+ in for longer races and a half shouldn't need fuelling it's already in the legs. Isn't it kinda like working against your body giving it a hit of gloop before you've even got going?

The packet itself states for best results take 1 gel 15 minutes before the race and 1 during activity...
 
Dad got me a Garmin FR 35 for my birthday.

Whatever sports supply shop had a great deal on them so I said go for it. Using it for a quick 5k last night and my HM today.

Its so much nicer then using my phone for tracking and great to have info right there, easy to see. And uploading straight to Garmin + Strava is great. No more tapiriik fuckery to do that is super handy.


Will probably drop runkeeper altogether now.
 
I recall a gaf thread a while ago where someone said 5K in 25 minutes should be easy for a runner, well I finally did it nearly boo.

20728695_749680448548355_1429211814698223378_o.jpg
 

JB1981

Member
I went with a banana and a bit of Fage greek yogurt about 30-40 minutes before I ran. I noticed yesterday that my legs were tired, more so than me being out of breath, which caused me to stop running. Today it went better. Can't say if it was a direct result of eating or not but my legs felt good all the way through. Now I just need to work on my endurance a bit. I haven't been able to consistently run because my old running shoes were giving me trouble. Now that I've got my shoe situation figured out, I can hopefully get up to 5K distance. I can run about two miles at the moment (which is clearly not that impressive compared to all the marathon runners up in here). There's a couple 5K's coming up in October that I'd like to try and finish. I grew up playing a lot of sports so I've always been more of a short-distance runner, so switching to long(er)-distance is quite the adjustment. I'm gonna try incorporating high intensity interval running into my weekly routine as I enjoy sprinting quite a bit and supposedly it helps with endurance.

Are you giving yourself rest days in between runs? I'm very much a running novice but when I was building up to my first half marathon it was very important that I gave myself 1-2 rest days in between my runs. Everyone's body is different but I'm a 36 yr old male and I can say that for me the rest days were crucial, even though I felt like I was being lazy.
 

DBT85

Member
Lo, GAF runnists.

Just added the c25k app to my phone and splurged the £2.50 or whatever it was to get rid of the ads.

Were I looking at something under £100 for tracking heart rate etc are there any suggestions?
 
Lo, GAF runnists.

Just added the c25k app to my phone and splurged the £2.50 or whatever it was to get rid of the ads.

Were I looking at something under £100 for tracking heart rate etc are there any suggestions?

Start by completing that beginner training plan and see if you actually enjoy running.
Then, figure out what do you want out of running.

Then, if what you want out of running requires fancy gear you can start looking for one. Chances are you won't need anything but shoes. I strongly advise against a HRM for beginners. Learn your easy pace by feel. Don't become slave to a watch. Just run, enjoy it and figure out your limits by yourself. You won't get burned out if you can't even run 5k.

Nevertheless, all the cheap watches or devices that can pair with your phone are of interchangeable quality. They're ok accuracy wise but don't expect great responsivity. You need to carry both the device and a phone to use them, it's annoying.

For the best monitors, you need a strap. If the strap is paired to a GPS-less watch, you can probably get one in your price range. Otherwise you are looking at 2-3 times your budget.
 

tmarg

Member
I'm no expert, but I'm not sure a HR monitor would actually be that useful during a c25k program. Does the program you're following recommend one?
 

dralla

Member
Are you giving yourself rest days in between runs? I'm very much a running novice but when I was building up to my first half marathon it was very important that I gave myself 1-2 rest days in between my runs. Everyone's body is different but I'm a 36 yr old male and I can say that for me the rest days were crucial, even though I felt like I was being lazy.

Yea I definitely take off-days. I run back to back on Saturday and Sunday's though. Then take a run mid-week. I've been tinkering and trying to find a good weekly routine. I also walk 1.7 miles every day on my lunch break at work I wish I could run but I'd get all sweaty and gross. I downloaded the C25K app and will use that as a guide, I'll jump a bit ahead since I'm in decent shape already.
 

satriales

Member
Lo, GAF runnists.

Just added the c25k app to my phone and splurged the £2.50 or whatever it was to get rid of the ads.

Were I looking at something under £100 for tracking heart rate etc are there any suggestions?
If you want ultra low budget heart rate monitor then look on eBay for a Garmin forerunner 305 watch and heart rate strap. Last time I looked they were £20 or less. I used the same thing up until about 6 months ago when I got a new watch but I kept the strap and still use it with my new 920xt.

The only negatives are that the 305 watch is bulky and not wearable as an everyday watch, and it can take 5mins to find the GPS so you have to turn it on before you get ready to leave. Other than that it does everything you'd need and accuracy is spot on.

Edit: or a 310xt should be around the same price range and is a slightly improved model.
 
Start by completing that beginner training plan and see if you actually enjoy running.
Then, figure out what do you want out of running.

Then, if what you want out of running requires fancy gear you can start looking for one. Chances are you won't need anything but shoes. I strongly advise against a HRM for beginners. Learn your easy pace by feel. Don't become slave to a watch. Just run, enjoy it and figure out your limits by yourself. You won't get burned out if you can't even run 5k.

Nevertheless, all the cheap watches or devices that can pair with your phone are of interchangeable quality. They're ok accuracy wise but don't expect great responsivity. You need to carry both the device and a phone to use them, it's annoying.

For the best monitors, you need a strap. If the strap is paired to a GPS-less watch, you can probably get one in your price range. Otherwise you are looking at 2-3 times your budget.

You can get a bluetooth heart rate strap for 50 or less and pair it to your phone. Companies like Wahoo and Polar make them.
 
Those are not abs hahaha. They are fat rolls. I am hoping to finally lose some bodyfat % this fall/winter training season. Thanks for making me feel good for a moment. :) And yes, 3x2 means 3 people 2 miles each. They were my teammates. Been training with them in the half group for 6 months and 1 year respectively.
Are you all part of a running club? Maybe I should join one. You'll definitely lose bodyfat, I almost became bone-thin from being obese and that's just by running within three months. Good luck!

Yeah I've been running on the treadmill every week day while lifting MWF.
Oh, I thought you actually ran outside. I haven't tried running on a treadmill yet. Our schedule is mostly similar except I run MWF and do the gym TThS.
 
Are you all part of a running club? Maybe I should join one. You'll definitely lose bodyfat, I almost became bone-thin from being obese and that's just by running within three months. Good luck!

Oh, I thought you actually ran outside. I haven't tried running on a treadmill yet. Our schedule is mostly similar except I run MWF and do the gym TThS.

Yes I run with the Dallas Running Club. This is my 4th "season" training with them (second year). I started with a PR of 2'20" for half when I first started training with them and am down to a 1'43" PR now. I am now planning to at least drop below 1'40" this December.

Strangely enough my weight has basically been flat over a year but I do think I am a bit more muscular. To be honest I think my body type is more suited toward triathlons than pure distance running because my calves/thighs are pretty big hahaha. I am going to work my weight down with a better diet this season and see what happens.
 

Painguy

Member
OMG WOW. I had no idea GAF had a running community!. I don't run anymore, but I did for 4 years on a team, and coached for 1 more year. I was a long distance dude, but also did a lot of short distance stuff too.

Don't have much to contribute, but I do have a story that I'll never forget. I was running a 5k 5 or 6 years back, and i remember watching this one dude down like 2 bottles of Gatorade. In my mind I was thinking "GG homie", and just as I predicted, this dude pretty much had a heart attack in like the 1st minute of the race. The fucked up thing was the race wasn't stopped, and we were pretty much jumping over this dudes body as an ambulance drove on the course to pick him up. It was also hella hot. thankfully the guy was chillin, but god damn was that an intense race. I dont remember my time, but I think it was mid 17's or something, and I just PR'd lol. Idk how that dude drank 2 bottles of Gatorade. I can barely breathe if i drink half a bottle. I start wheezing like no tmrw.

tl:dr mix ur gatorade with water...or u know....just dont drink that junk at all. lol.

anyway good luck with ur training everyone. always try new trails n shizz, dont do the same thing to much, and dont neglect speed training. endurance is important, but ya gotta have balance. make sure u are mentally prepared. ur biggest barrier is ur mind. ur body can be in peak condition, but if ur mentally fucked...GG. most importantly, dont fap or have sex before a race loooooool
 

Fistwell

Member
I can't drink anything while I'm running, even water, it makes me so queasy I think I'm gonna throw up.
That's most of your blood going to the legs and almost none to the digestive system. The stomach 'knows' it's not able to operate properly, nopes at anything you throw at it. Isotonic drinks are supposed to be easier to ingest.

I've suffered from the same problem since I started running. Any time I would try to drink anything when running hard, I could feel it swooshing around my belly for the next K or so and felt like barfing. As a half-ass measure, I would put some water in my mouth and slurp it around for a bit before spitting it out. Some of it seeps in, and I'd at least feel a bit refreshed.

I've been practicing drinking and sucking on gels during long runs, but at effort levels below marathon pace. It's been getting better, ever so slowly, but in-race nutrition isn't my favorite thing. I still have to practice at marathon pace, which I have planned for later this month.
 

panda-zebra

Member
That's it, registered for my first M, October 8th in Munich. Shit's gonna suck/hurt.

You'll love every second of it. OK, maybe not every single second, that pleasure/pain thing, but to be fair your training is looking really solid and with 8 weeks to go you'll be more than ready and kick its arse.

Doesn't exactly look flat though, not too bad but there's a fair lump at 10 miles (going off some random strava activity, not always the best plan I know).

95 euros... crikey.

On the subject of marathons, I missed the hilly one I was really looking forward to earlier in the year but it's got a beastly big brother in November that I just signed up to. It's horrible laps of a challenging hill in often terrible weather. Yeah, not sure what I was thinking, I do these things when I' up late and try to fill gaps in the calendar. It's actually run over 5 days, but I think the mindfuck of a single day will do me fine. Still, gets the Strava climbing challenge out of the way in a single run...

okay i got a year to train for city2surf

I'm making this my mission!

"make a plan and stick to it" a friend said in a really inspiring blog post - great words :) Keep posting in here regularly and it'll definitely help with motivation should you need it.

tl:dr mix ur gatorade with water...or u know....just dont drink that junk at all. lol.

Well this post came 3 days too late.

most importantly, dont fap or have sex before a race loooooool

You mean... like an hour before, or...?
 
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