Running ERA |OT| Off the couch into a new ERA

Fisico · Nov 19, 2018

panda-zebra said:
Nice work, Fisico, under your target if not your secret 2nd target heh. Your Tokyo plan looks plenty doable given that time.

My next target is to stay in bed a lot and play with my switch & ps4 after finishing 5 hard and long marathons in 5 days (and finishing fastest of the 21 left standing by day 5 :P ). I didn't come post about them 'cause I've been really sick and wasn't even sure if I should attempt just the first. I've got a fun fell race on NYE then some super long stuff next year. No target times, no pressure, just dipping my toe into some proper ultra running.

Woof, that's some crazy endurance thing, I'm quite fond of reading race recap so if you're thinking about writing one please don't hesitate to share ! (I did write a few snarky funny ones myself, but only in my mother tongue so no point sharing that here)

r3s said:
Great run. Some seriously consistent splits.

Still not consistent enough, need to shoot for that perfect/negative split :p

r3s said:
Less than two weeks till my 2nd marathon - and last day under 40 years old. Since it's on gravel roads in an open alpine environment at the start of summer the conditions could be anything from 0°C with a southerly headwind to 30°C with a northwest tailwind. What will be will be. Hoping to go under 3:30 given reasonable conditions.

If you are who you think you are (and this seems super likely), shooting for something closer to 3:15 than 3:30 seems more realistic and feasable, even 3:15 is achievable with the right conditions so if there's a 3:15 pacer go with him!

Oh BTW since a few weeks ago my Forerunner 235 have completely messed up HBR values, going on a super easy run it skyrockets above 170 and stay there until I stop, and the opposite (as seen on my half activity above) I go all out for a race and stays it below 140-150 the whole race...

Duebrithil · Nov 19, 2018

Fisico said:
There we go, 1h21m50s, I secretly hoped for a low 1:20:xx but that's as much as I could do this morning, maybe in top form/condition that would have been manageable but I can't complain, I felt much better than my previous two races and I'm already glad for that.
I even did the first 10k in 38:20 which makes my 37:10 PB really laughable relatively, no negative split as I got slowly weaker as the race went on (19:06-19:16-19:31-19:37 5k splits during the race) but I think my body is more used to the half effort now and 10k became an unnatural distance that I can't seem to manage decently.
Props to two of my work colleagues I ran a good part of the race with, it's kinda incredible that the three of us are so close to each other in term of pace, I ran with one of them from the start to KM 18-19 (and then he took of and finished in 1h21m17s, or rather it was me going more slowly) and the three of us from KM 7 to 16 (he started after us, slowly catched up at KM7 but then had a troublesome last water supply spot, had to stop, didn't get water dropped his gel and never catched up to us, still finished in 1h22m10s though)

Now a little bit of rest and back to build up more mileage for the next big target, Tokyo Marathon in March for a sub 2h55, I registered for my first (24km) trail this december in the meantime, intend to go there and discover/have fun instead of focusing on time which should help me get back my love of running even more .

And I'm ready for winter \o/

Astounding job Fisico, congratulations! I completely agree with panda-zebra: seeing your performance in a half-marathon, as long as you follow a good training plan a 2h55 marathon is completely within your grasp.

panda-zebra said:
Nice work, Fisico, under your target if not your secret 2nd target heh. Your Tokyo plan looks plenty doable given that time.

My next target is to stay in bed a lot and play with my switch & ps4 after finishing 5 hard and long marathons in 5 days (and finishing fastest of the 21 left standing by day 5 :P ). I didn't come post about them 'cause I've been really sick and wasn't even sure if I should attempt just the first. I've got a fun fell race on NYE then some super long stuff next year. No target times, no pressure, just dipping my toe into some proper ultra running.

That was a colossal effort Kev, I can't even begin to imagine how your legs must feel (or rather, not feel) right now. You should come here and do Barcelona, Valencia (next week! I'm hoping the training plan has been worthwhile!) or Sevilla, you'd smash the chrono on those.

panda-zebra · Nov 19, 2018

Duebrithil said:
Astounding job That was a colossal effort Kev, I can't even begin to imagine how your legs must feel (or rather, not feel) right now. You should come here and do Barcelona, Valencia (next week! I'm hoping the training plan has been worthwhile!) or Sevilla, you'd smash the chrono on those.

I've got to venture further out that's for sure, there's just so many different challenges that start to appeal when you realise they're not impossible after all, got some fun ones lined up for the first half of the year.

My legs are fine, which I wouldn't have expected beforehand, but the effort expended was never intense or prolonged, it was all very steady. Like an ultra, if it felt anything like work it was too fast so I eased off. I saw people come to smash 1 day, tore off up the hills... then I saw them again 2 hours later, broken and defeated as I just plodded on past. Really the very hardest thing was forcing myself to eat when I felt like it was the last thing I'd want to do.

Good luck next week, you're in incredible form so take it through to that and you'll tear it up.

r3s · Nov 19, 2018

Fisico said:
If you are who you think you are (and this seems super likely), shooting for something closer to 3:15 than 3:30 seems more realistic and feasable, even 3:15 is achievable with the right conditions so if there's a 3:15 pacer go with him!

Pacers - LOL. This race is limited to 40 (fourty). I know a few of the other entrants with similar speeds, so I'll hang with those looking to do similar times. But I expect is going to be a lonely run for big chunks of it.

Fisico · Nov 20, 2018

r3s said:
Pacers - LOL. This race is limited to 40 (fourty). I know a few of the other entrants with similar speeds, so I'll hang with those looking to do similar times. But I expect is going to be a lonely run for big chunks of it.

A marathon limited to 40, well didn't know that was even possible :p
Last I did was a local one and we were 600-700 hundreds and it had pacers so I assumed yours was similar or bigger.
Well as long as you hang on with someone who has a goal anywhere in between 3:15-3-30 that should be fine too.

r3s · Nov 20, 2018

Thanks Fisico. It'll be awesome. A chance to run somewhere new and grind out the last half trying to pick off as many people as I can (if I run to plan and not go out to hard). I can't wait.

dirtyjane · Nov 24, 2018

Y'all guys are crazy good!

I started running more seriously this June after I stopped smoking, since then my milage and pace skyrocketed!
In June it was something like two 5k's a week with a pace over 5 and yesterday I ran my third half marathon with my best time so far of 1:38. I hope I'm able to finish a marathon next year with a consistent pace under 5 minutes.

Fisico · Nov 26, 2018

dirtyjane said:
Y'all guys are crazy good!

I started running more seriously this June after I stopped smoking, since then my milage and pace skyrocketed!
In June it was something like two 5k's a week with a pace over 5 and yesterday I ran my third half marathon with my best time so far of 1:38. I hope I'm able to finish a marathon next year with a consistent pace under 5 minutes.

Shouldn't be too hard if you keep up with that training and build up mileage slowly, you can shave off a few minutes from that half PB before the marathon (a sub 1h35) and from there 3h30 is a reasonable target.
Are you thinking about a spring or fall marathon?

Good luck and don't give up during the cold winter :p

SigEpTendo · Nov 29, 2018

Anyone travelling to Memphis TN for the St. Jude Marathon this weekend? I'll be participating in the half. This is the fourth time I've run this race, but my schedule has really off balance for the past few months. I'm not expecting great results but hope to have a good time.

Bestlaidplans · Nov 30, 2018

Santa dash in Liverpool this weekend. Should be good. Although looks like it might piss it down.

Also, but disappointed. Had my Pegasus 35s for like 8 weeks and the soles already show signs of wear...
I've probably done like 200km in them, maybe a little more. Am I just being unreasonable?

r3s · Nov 30, 2018

pbsapeer said:
Also, but disappointed. Had my Pegasus 35s for like 8 weeks and the soles already show signs of wear...
I've probably done like 200km in them, maybe a little more. Am I just being unreasonable?

Pics? I have a pair with just under 150km on them and from what I remember they're fine (apart from awful looking the midsole creases). I'll check on Sunday when I'm back home and post some pics for you to compare.

Bestlaidplans · Nov 30, 2018

r3s said:
Pics? I have a pair with just under 150km on them and from what I remember they're fine (apart from awful looking the midsole creases). I'll check on Sunday when I'm back home and post some pics for you to compare.

If you look at the edge it's worn down. I know my NB 1080S did that, but only after about 6 months of use!

r3s · Nov 30, 2018

I see. Will check mine and post pics of mine when I can.

dmix90 · Nov 30, 2018

Welp... Looks like i am going back to super fat mode. Fuck -10C and snow! My treadmill is also been broken for years and well... in comparison that experience sucks anyways.

I got addicted for last three months( 50+ runs and around 800km total according to Nike Run Club app ) but i am not that addicted, i think... also my shoes are falling apart lmao.

Are any of you guys running outside in similar climate?

r3s · Nov 30, 2018

Marathon completed with a time of 3:21:35. Smashed 10 minutes off my June marathon time. Pretty stoked. Crazy with all that downhill, but the gravel roads were tough on the feet. Considering the event was limited to 40 I was happy to have a person or two next to me to chat with for most of it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1993289642/

Bestlaidplans · Dec 1, 2018

dmix90 said:
Welp... Looks like i am going back to super fat mode. Fuck -10C and snow! My treadmill is also been broken for years and well... in comparison that experience sucks anyways.

I got addicted for last three months( 50+ runs and around 800km total according to Nike Run Club app ) but i am not that addicted, i think... also my shoes are falling apart lmao.

Are any of you guys running outside in similar climate?

I was running in snow last year but wouldn't have said it ever got that cold .it was also only every couple of days for like a month so not all the time. If I was you I'd probably by some gortex shoes or trail shoes for those runs. But if still probably be running if I could buy something to help

dmix90 · Dec 1, 2018

pbsapeer said:
I was running in snow last year but wouldn't have said it ever got that cold .it was also only every couple of days for like a month so not all the time. If I was you I'd probably by some gortex shoes or trail shoes for those runs. But if still probably be running if I could buy something to help

Thanks, will definitely look into those types of shoes! I tried running in my regular ones when there was already snow and even a bit of ice on the roads and it was around -4C but that was not pleasant at all.... even slipped once because of a tiny leashed dog( everyone seems to have one nowadays lol ) suddenly changing direction and blocking my path.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 1, 2018

dmix90 said:
Thanks, will definitely look into those types of shoes! I tried running in my regular ones when there was already snow and even a bit of ice on the roads and it was around -4C but that was not pleasant at all.... even slipped once because of a tiny leashed dog( everyone seems to have one nowadays lol ) suddenly changing direction and blocking my path.

Last year I found running on the road was the best choice - in the channels that the tyres make. It wasn't icy there and was relatively snow free too. Just gotta make sure you're as visible to cars as possible and can jump out the way if needed, fast!

Fisico · Dec 1, 2018

r3s said:
Marathon completed with a time of 3:21:35. Smashed 10 minutes off my June marathon time. Pretty stoked. Crazy with all that downhill, but the gravel roads were tough on the feet. Considering the event was limited to 40 I was happy to have a person or two next to me to chat with for most of it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1993289642/

That's mega, well done and now you can rest.

r3s · Dec 3, 2018

pbsapeer here is a pic of my peg 35s

They're showing similar wear as yours. Am I bothered, not really. I must note my Adidas and Saucony shoes of similar milage don't show that wear pattern yet, but my Saloman trail shoes do (lugs are worn on the outer heel edges).

Fisico · Dec 3, 2018

Hope everyone had a great running week-end.

I'm running my first (24kish) trail next Sunday however I do not own any trail running shoes, I only have the latest Gel Kayano (25 iirc) and DS Trainer, since the trail isn't that long would that be alright to go with the Kayano anyway (they would get a little dirty but that's not a big concern) or is that a big no no and I should definitely try to buy trail shoes?

The trail profile btw

Bestlaidplans · Dec 3, 2018

r3s said:
pbsapeer here is a pic of my peg 35s

They're showing similar wear as yours. Am I bothered, not really. I must note my Adidas and Saucony shoes of similar milage don't show that wear pattern yet, but my Saloman trail shoes do (lugs are worn on the outer heel edges).

Yeah looks similar. Thanks for showing. Can't say I'm too bothered but it does feel like I'm going to go through these quicker than my old trainers! Nevermind!

Not sure about the grip on these too. I think my lunerepic flyknits had superior grip, particularly in the wet.

r3s · Dec 3, 2018

Fisico said:
Hope everyone had a great running week-end.

I'm running my first (24kish) trail next Sunday however I do not own any trail running shoes, I only have the latest Gel Kayano (25 iirc) and DS Trainer, since the trail isn't that long would that be alright to go with the Kayano anyway (they would get a little dirty but that's not a big concern) or is that a big no no and I should definitely try to buy trail shoes?

The trail profile btw

You should be fine, unless it's through wet grass or you expect muddy paths. River crossings would suck, but trail shoes don't help much with those either. Gravel roads and paths will be sweet. If it's technical hiking tracks, where you need to think there you place your feet, expect it to be mentally fatiguing. Don't blow your legs out on the first hill. Looks like a fun day out.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 3, 2018

Seen some Reebok RS 5.0 trainers which are waterproof. Anyone ran in waterproof shoes before? Could be useful for the winter and they're only £40

r3s · Dec 3, 2018

Do it. I use Adidas Supernova GoreTex shoes for winter. They're great. Can run through shallow puddles, wet grass and in the rain without getting wet toes! A bit hot in summer due to the lack of breatheability, but I just ran a Marathon in them with no ill effects.

noquarter · Dec 3, 2018

Half marathon went alright. Was my first real trail run, 13.1 miles might a little much for that. Also wore new shoes, which was a blessing and a curse, as there was plenty of mud so the grip was nice. Those two things together got me a pretty sweet blister on my toe though.

Ended up 2:20:43, sounds bad, but was in the top 25%. Think it was just around 1600 ft of rise over the course and there were numerous points where you just couldn't really pass people.

Now, debating whether to do the Honolulu Marathon on Sunday.

Fisico said:
Hope everyone had a great running week-end.

I'm running my first (24kish) trail next Sunday however I do not own any trail running shoes, I only have the latest Gel Kayano (25 iirc) and DS Trainer, since the trail isn't that long would that be alright to go with the Kayano anyway (they would get a little dirty but that's not a big concern) or is that a big no no and I should definitely try to buy trail shoes?

The trail profile btw

A little more than half of the trail I ran was pretty much just a hiking path, through lots of mud, with 1/4 descent that was pretty much mud and roots, and in was happy I got trail shoes. Most of the people I saw that didn't slipped and fell numerous times. The paths that were just gravel or dirt roads would have been fine with just regular shoes.

Will echo what someone above mentioned, the real trail parts were fatiguing just from having to be so cognizant of foot placement and not being used to such uneven terrain caused my ankle to feel added pressure and my foot to rub away in the shoe. Was a good experience, enjoyed the run, but the hills were the easiest part to get used to.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 4, 2018

r3s said:
Do it. I use Adidas Supernova GoreTex shoes for winter. They're great. Can run through shallow puddles, wet grass and in the rain without getting wet toes! A bit hot in summer due to the lack of breatheability, but I just ran a Marathon in them with no ill effects.

What do you think of these? Never had Reebok or GTX trainers before
Reebok GTX Trainers

r3s · Dec 4, 2018

Read the reviews at the Reebok site. Only problems I see is they lack grip on hard wet surfaces. Breaking them in seems to fix that problem though. They definitely look like a cushioned trail shoe, but should be fine for winter road running. For reference I have these, also available in even an uglier colour way.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 4, 2018

r3s said:
Read the reviews at the Reebok site. Only problems I see is they lack grip on hard wet surfaces. Breaking them in seems to fix that problem though. They definitely look like a cushioned trail shoe, but should be fine for winter road running. For reference I have these.

Took a punt on the Reebok's. Thanks.

Fisico · Dec 5, 2018

r3s said:
You should be fine, unless it's through wet grass or you expect muddy paths. River crossings would suck, but trail shoes don't help much with those either. Gravel roads and paths will be sweet. If it's technical hiking tracks, where you need to think there you place your feet, expect it to be mentally fatiguing. Don't blow your legs out on the first hill. Looks like a fun day out.

noquarter said:
Half marathon went alright. Was my first real trail run, 13.1 miles might a little much for that. Also wore new shoes, which was a blessing and a curse, as there was plenty of mud so the grip was nice. Those two things together got me a pretty sweet blister on my toe though.

Ended up 2:20:43, sounds bad, but was in the top 25%. Think it was just around 1600 ft of rise over the course and there were numerous points where you just couldn't really pass people.

Now, debating whether to do the Honolulu Marathon on Sunday.

A little more than half of the trail I ran was pretty much just a hiking path, through lots of mud, with 1/4 descent that was pretty much mud and roots, and in was happy I got trail shoes. Most of the people I saw that didn't slipped and fell numerous times. The paths that were just gravel or dirt roads would have been fine with just regular shoes.

Will echo what someone above mentioned, the real trail parts were fatiguing just from having to be so cognizant of foot placement and not being used to such uneven terrain caused my ankle to feel added pressure and my foot to rub away in the shoe. Was a good experience, enjoyed the run, but the hills were the easiest part to get used to.

Thanks for the feedbacks.

Well I went to check the race in more details and apparently it was veeeerrryyyy muddy last year, it's also around 580m/1900ft of rise over 24km
Also this is what the wheather looks like for the day of the race and the two previous days
So I think I'm definitely gonna buy trail shoes Friday or Saturday, in store to be able to try them and have some advices from people there.
It will be a little more expensive but I'd take that rather than something going bad at the race and/or hurting my feet in one way or another.
Will be a good occasion to chat about running with people with knowledge I hope.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 7, 2018

Well my Reebok's arrived. Feel nice on just walking round the house. Thought they might be a little small from some of the reviews. Just need to get some rain to try them out for water ingress

Bestlaidplans · Dec 8, 2018

Liverpool half marathon beginning of march. Mainly stuck to 10km races this year but wouldn't mind doing this one. Was supposed to do it in 2016 but my knee problem flared up again and I finally decided to get something done about it. Now over a year of running 4 times a week and no issues.
Anyone got any decent half marathon training schedules?

Duebrithil · Dec 8, 2018

pbsapeer said:
Liverpool half marathon beginning of march. Mainly stuck to 10km races this year but wouldn't mind doing this one. Was supposed to do it in 2016 but my knee problem flared up again and I finally decided to get something done about it. Now over a year of running 4 times a week and no issues.
Anyone got any decent half marathon training schedules?

The eDreams 1/2 Marató BCN has a free plan available here. If you have a specific goal in mind I can try to find something more targeted to that end.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 8, 2018

Duebrithil said:
The eDreams 1/2 Marató BCN has a free plan available here. If you have a specific goal in mind I can try to find something more targeted to that end.

Thanks. I run 10k in about 45mins or less training and around 40mins competitively. Would like to aim for 1hour 40 or under I guess

massoluk · Dec 8, 2018

Anyone at Singapore's Standard Chartered run today? 😃

Fisico · Dec 9, 2018

Trail this morning 24k, it's been rainy the last few days, it's rainy today, gonna enjoy the mud yay \o/
Bought a pair of Brooks Cascadia 13 in the end, main reason was to reduce the probability of getting hurt.

Good Sunday to all of you.

r3s · Dec 9, 2018

pbsapeer said:
Thanks. I run 10k in about 45mins or less training and around 40mins competitively. Would like to aim for 1hour 40 or under I guess

Dude, you got under 1:40 on a hilly course into a headwind with a 10km time like that. Fresh legs on race day and getting into that headspace "thou shall not pass" on the second half and reign in the person in front. As for 1/2 Marathon plans, I'm a big fan of rest day, easy run day (45 mins to 2 hours with no eye on pace), hard run day (intervals, progression runs, shorter races) twice a week and for the seventh day something else (swim, weights, yoga, anything). I found it helped running twice a week with a group with similar goals especially for the hard runs.

It’s Time To Go · Dec 9, 2018

I've got an idea of doing more runs, but cutting down the lengths, so in theory 2 or 3 miles a day, at least 5 days at week. Is this a good or bad idea? Or reference, I've completed C210K completely before, I've got myself up to running 8 miles a time, the problem being I'm not very consistent and keep allowing myself to drop off for weeks and then losing where I was at.

noquarter · Dec 9, 2018

Finished the Honolulu Marathon, first marathon, so pretty happy. Got 3:58:25, which is eh, but I kind of stopped training for a marathon back in July and never really started again. Longest run until today was 15.25mi.

I knew that the last 6 miles was going to be bad for me and it was. Think the energy packs they gave out got me (Stinger stuff doesn't agree with me usually) and when I started to get a cramp I also started to walk, which let me legs tell my brain that they want to stop, which led to more walking.

Will be doing another one sometime and plan to just get to where I'm almost always ready for it, running 15+ once a week.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 9, 2018

r3s said:
Dude, you got under 1:40 on a hilly course into a headwind with a 10km time like that. Fresh legs on race day and getting into that headspace "thou shall not pass" on the second half and reign in the person in front. As for 1/2 Marathon plans, I'm a big fan of rest day, easy run day (45 mins to 2 hours with no eye on pace), hard run day (intervals, progression runs, shorter races) twice a week and for the seventh day something else (swim, weights, yoga, anything). I found it helped running twice a week with a group with similar goals especially for the hard runs.

Sorry meant to reply yesterday. Not sure I have it in me. It's the slower running that I won't be great at. I am not the best at pacing myself, I generally just run as quick as I can which was almost to my detriment back in September. I think if I'd have paced better I might have for under 40minutes...
Not run further than 7 miles in over 5 years so there is that too.

Bestlaidplans · Dec 9, 2018

noquarter said:
Finished the Honolulu Marathon, first marathon, so pretty happy. Got 3:58:25, which is eh, but I kind of stopped training for a marathon back in July and never really started again. Longest run until today was 15.25mi.

I knew that the last 6 miles was going to be bad for me and it was. Think the energy packs they gave out got me (Stinger stuff doesn't agree with me usually) and when I started to get a cramp I also started to walk, which let me legs tell my brain that they want to stop, which led to more walking.

Will be doing another one sometime and plan to just get to where I'm almost always ready for it, running 15+ once a week.

Well done! That's a great time! Also Honolulu sounds lovely for a marathon if not a little warm? How was the weather.

noquarter · Dec 9, 2018

Starts at 5, so was 60s-70s, sun came up about 630 and started to warm up some, but not too bad. Supposed to get up to mid-80s today. Was 75 when i finished at 9~.

The route is really good. Starts off downtown and goes West then loops back but takes you through the Festival of Lights or whatever, so get to see those. Then follows the shore East into Waikiki, around Diamond Head, over to Hawaii Kai (nice small town by Hounama Bay), loops back around to the finish line in one of the parks Downtown Honolulu.

The people on the course can be a problem, first like 5 miles was trying to dodge people and pass. Other than that, everything is nice. This does tend to be rainy season, but also is when North Shore gets the nice big waves.

medli · Dec 9, 2018

Any harsh climate runners here?

For most of the winter months here it's about somewhere from -10 to -30C with varying degrees of ice/snow outside. I find it really difficult to stay consistent, I'm all for the "just do it" attitude but a lot of the times it feels dangerous.

I need to cover my face so that the wind doesn't get to it (at least at first), I've tried balaclavas but even the "breathable" ones make it hard for me to get enough oxygen and they make my neck uncomfortable.

I've been looking at getting a pair of Icebug shoes which may help with the ice.

Bit of a rant but if anyone has suggestions I'm open... hopefully other than the treadmill :)

r3s · Dec 9, 2018

noquarter said:
Finished the Honolulu Marathon, first marathon, so pretty happy.

Awesome. Well done!

r3s · Dec 9, 2018

pbsapeer said:
Sorry meant to reply yesterday. Not sure I have it in me. It's the slower running that I won't be great at. I am not the best at pacing myself, I generally just run as quick as I can which was almost to my detriment back in September. I think if I'd have paced better I might have for under 40minutes...
Not run further than 7 miles in over 5 years so there is that too.

You'll have to get over that 'giving it all' in training. With over 3 months to train, I'd look at trying a weekly lazy 60-90 minute run with no watch (at least no looking). Try any find an easy off-road course with no cars around along a river, beach or in a forest where you can tune out an just run an out-and-back course (carry water with you if necessary). Just think time on the feet, rather than gotta smash this run. My slow solo run pace is about 6:10/km (9:55/mile) for a 2 hour run, with my recent half marathon race pace at 4:23/km (7:03/mile). Training slow once a week doesn't mean racing slow.

Fisico · Dec 10, 2018

Finished my 24k trail this Sunday, 1h49 and a copious amount of mud and rocky roads, also including a 300m 20% climb around 7km, I started in the middle of a huge pack and had to walk a fair amount of time the first few km, after that it was only me flying past everyone which felt great but also showed how much time I lost at the start.

I finished in an amazing fresh state by being cautious the whole race, it's a rather pleasant feeling that I didn't have for a long time after focusing on time/speed on road races lately.

CormoranStrike said:
I've got an idea of doing more runs, but cutting down the lengths, so in theory 2 or 3 miles a day, at least 5 days at week. Is this a good or bad idea? Or reference, I've completed C210K completely before, I've got myself up to running 8 miles a time, the problem being I'm not very consistent and keep allowing myself to drop off for weeks and then losing where I was at.

You should go at it gradually, if you're already able to run 2-3 miles seems like very short though, I'm no expert but running 4-5 miles 3 times a week rather 2-3 miles 5 times a week does sound better at first glance.
However that depends on your pace as well, rather than distance time is more important and 30mn should be the minimal amount of time you would want to try running if you want to have any gain on endurance

Rough answer as I have no idea what your profile is on too many aspects (when was the "before" for C210K, how old/tall are you, weight, running history from even before the C210K, average pace on easy run, do you practice any other sports etc.) and what you even want to achieve by running in the first place (losing weight? Build endurance for other sports? Eyeing a 10k/half/marathon race in the long term?)

r3s · Dec 10, 2018

Fisico said:
Finished my 24k trail this Sunday, 1h49 and a copious amount of mud and rocky roads, also including a 300m 20% climb around 7km, I started in the middle of a huge pack and had to walk a fair amount of time the first few km, after that it was only me flying past everyone which felt great but also showed how much time I lost at the start.

I finished in an amazing fresh state by being cautious the whole race, it's a rather pleasant feeling that I didn't have for a long time after focusing on time/speed on road races lately.

Congrats. Sounds like a fun day out. Getting boxed in on the start isn't fun, but there isn't much you can do at the time it's better than going out too hard and watching a stream of people go by you. I haven't done many trail races, but they're great fun to train on.

Fisico · Dec 11, 2018

r3s said:
Congrats. Sounds like a fun day out. Getting boxed in on the start isn't fun, but there isn't much you can do at the time it's better than going out too hard and watching a stream of people go by you. I haven't done many trail races, but they're great fun to train on.

Well you can just use your shoulders to get to the front at the start if you want to avoid that, did it a couple times when I was there to get a time.
That was my first trail and it's indeed rather pleasant, I was skeptical about it a few years ago because I was worried it would hurt my knees (which it probably does to some degree) but it sure is a funnier experience than your usual "run in the city on concrete" race, I will be eyeing others one in the future, near the sea and/or in the mountains preferably.

Overall I'm still undecided on what target I should have in the midterm (besides increasing mileage), continue on improving time on 10k/half/marathon, focusing more on triathlon (they're great fun as well, beside the swimming part that is) or going the trail way for longer distances (50-60-70...)
I do think I'm more akin to endurance things anyway now, so next year should be marathon, half ironman and >30k trails hopefully.

slow-twitch · Dec 12, 2018

medli said:
Any harsh climate runners here?

For most of the winter months here it's about somewhere from -10 to -30C with varying degrees of ice/snow outside. I find it really difficult to stay consistent, I'm all for the "just do it" attitude but a lot of the times it feels dangerous.

I need to cover my face so that the wind doesn't get to it (at least at first), I've tried balaclavas but even the "breathable" ones make it hard for me to get enough oxygen and they make my neck uncomfortable.

I've been looking at getting a pair of Icebug shoes which may help with the ice.

Bit of a rant but if anyone has suggestions I'm open... hopefully other than the treadmill :)

I run in similar weather in winter. I avoid the threadmill at all cost.

For shoes, you need good material (like Gore-Tex) that blocks wind otherwise your feet will freeze even with 3 layers of socks.

Nothing can give you good enough traction for running when it's really icy. Icebugs won't help you, that's only good for walking.
You'll need to hit the threadmill 1-2 days per winter when there's severe freezing rain. Or run very slow and risk a sprain on every step.
Otherwise, studs are sufficient for snow and light ice. If you run 100% on snow, metal studs are ok. I suggest plastic studs if it's a mix of plowed concrete and snow.

I'm happy with my Salomon Speedcross but any similar shoes would be good too.

For clothes, layers and stuff. I think you have this figured out.

You'll need ski goggles when the wind is very cold (>-40C). Otherwise your eyes will produce tears that will immediately freeze and block vision.
I never feel the need to cover my mouth even at the coldest temperatures. The face will get cold but I get used to it. All the setups with scarves and balaclavas I tried ended up producing moisture that would freeze in my eyes or just block airflow.

I know some people use custom balaclava with 3M respirator mask to displace the moisture outside the face. I never bothered with that solution so I don't know if it's efficient.

That kind of info on cold weather should be in the first post.

Deleted member 9237 · Dec 14, 2018

A friend of mine challenged me to a 2k race. He's a grym rat who doesn't run, and I'm an on and off runner, I usually do between 5-15k but I haven't been running for a few months and I was never particularly fast anyway (probably a 25min 5K at my best). I have no idea how to train for that distance, I was thinking do focus on 1 km sprints, but any suggestions would be welcome. It's an awkward distance for me, so much about willpower.

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