Running • Page 70

After last week’s nightmare run, I tried out the run-walk method today. Anyone have any experience/tips on this? I think this is realistically the only way I cross the finish line of a full marathon.

 

I consistently read about people who walk the first minute of each mile, or walk 60 seconds for every 10 minutes of running. Some always walk up hills or walk the downhills.

I always think about trying it on longer runs but never have actually done so, I just slow down to a super slow pace of run for a bit and that helps. I’ve also had a few times when I stop and do some squats or stretches and that helps too, but I’ve only done that during a few 20 mile runs and only at miles 8 and 16, it’s not an every mile thing like most people say to do with walking.

 

As primarily a trail runner, I regularly walk the hills. It depends one what I want out of that run that day. If its a harder run yeah I'm going to put in some effort on the hills to an extent. If its a easy run day i'll walk whatever, road hills or trail hills. Especially to keep my HR down to where I want it like lets say 125-145(easy run day - and 145 is really too high for that). I did a 15 mile trail run yesterday and kept my HR relatively low the entire time due to walking most hills and then easy to moderate on the flats and descents. Fatigued after the run yeah for sure a little, but I still felt like I could do another 5 mile loop(it was a 5 mile loop type fun run event).

Tips: Slow down during training runs. If you're hard struggling on completing the distance, it's either too long, too fast based on your previous, or you didn't fuel properly; primarily if its a longer run past 1h:30m.

You're long runs, go slow. You're building that aerobic base. Later in a training block, you could do a long run with the first 4 miles are easy, middle 4 are up-tempo, then last 4 are easy. Or something like that. Or do some fartlek surges in the middle of your long run. But otherwise go slow. If you are doing a tempo run, it's not going to be your long run. If your long run is 12 miles. Your tempo run might be 5-6-7miles. You should be kinda gassed for your tempo(moderately hard effort), you shouldn't be gassed for your long run.

If you're shooting for a 4 hour marathon. You'll want to intake a gel or some food every 30 or so minutes. Around 100kcal per gel should get your through once every 30 mins. You have to test this in training to know what your gut can handle. If it's especially hot or your sweat a lot too, you would want to add in some source of electrolyte from a sports drink or something through out(of course along with your water intake). Not enough and you will start cramping among other things.

Maybe every aid station take the time to walk with the water cup for 10-20 seconds. Let that HR go down a bit then get back at it. Walk some hills. On my fastest half marathon so far(1:37 in 2018), I absolutely walked a couple of the hills and still ended up with 3rd in my age group and a PR (which I hope to break this year).

 

Knock on wood no normal shit interferes, but I have my 2021 planned out:

May: Tennessee 50K
August: Iowa marathon
October: Kentucky marathon

I see that the Austin, TX marathon got moved to April this year when it’s normally in February (pre covid) so I think I might eye that up as my first race in 2022 if it goes back to February

 

I find out Wednesday if I pulled something in my right leg. On a one mile after work de-stress lap because it was lovely out. So that’s how my training is going.

 

Any recommendation on running socks for trail running? I bought some Mud Gear compression knee high socks that are real nice but not sure if those will be too hot to wear in summer months. I also bought some Balega’s that are short but go above my ankle to keep shit out of my shoes. Both feel and wear great so I might just buy more of them.

 

how’d your appointment go?

 

My marathon got canceled as I was diagnosed so kind of a win/lose lose/lose lose/win all at once blend. Gives me time to recover. The muscle that connects the ankle to the knee under the calf (helps control probation) is severely aggravated in both legs.

 

Soleus muscle? Pretty sure that’s what I injured a bit. I was running on the trail early in the week and felt a sharp sensation in my calf. Keep running along and then felt it again. So I walked it in. I’m pretty sure it was a small muscle pull/strain. That day and the day after it hurt a bit to put pressure on it. I bought some calf compression sleeves and have rested completely from activity since. I ran tonight easy 3.2 miles on the road and everything felt good again. Going to hit the trail tomorrow and take it easy against and see how that goes. Hopefully I’ve put the pain behind me there. I hope you can heal your stuff up quick.

For trails I really like Injinji trail toe socks. I mainly use a form of those, Smartwool, Swiftwick, and Drymax socks. That’s just the brands I’ve leaned toward over the years in various forms.

 

Anyone ever hear of the “Transcendence 3100”? I heard about it on a podcast and also stumbled upon a documentary on Amazon Prime about it (called “3100: Run and Become”, and it’s interesting but not very well made).

It’s a 65(?) day race in New York where you run around the same fucking block for 65 days or until you reach 3,100 miles. Every other day they rotate which direction you run but it’s always the same goddamn block. Sounds absolutely horrible and to me might be the most mentally challenging race I’ve ever heard of - not because of the distance and time (although obviously those are challenging) but running around the same block for two months? Nooooo thanks.

 

So you run non-stop around the block? Or you just have to run one time around it for 65 days?

 

running is allowed from 6 am - midnight and you camp out at the start in a van with all your gear and crew/support. There’s a person at a table that counts each time you come around and updates a board showing how many miles you’ve done (I think the block is one mile in diameter so the goal is to go around it 3,100 times in 65 days or less (or whatever the cut off is)

you don’t have to run every day. You could theoretically run 100 miles on day 1 and then only do 30 on day 2 or something but you have to average close to 50 miles a day for 65 days to finish on time (if it is 65 days I can’t remember offhand the total time allowed).

Edit: oh shit the limit is 52 days, so 60 miles a day on average

 

Got a little crazy at the running store today and walked out spending all of my state tax return and then some lol

got four new pairs of shoes to last me awhile. Hoka Gaviota 3 and Asics Kayano for the road and Hoka Speedgoat 4 and Brooks Catamount for trail running. My first trail shoes that will get their first run tomorrow, very excited.

also got some more socks and shorts and misc gels and chews and shit

A good day

 

Ok so Balega no-show socks are definitely my new mandatory sock (although they do show but I don’t mind). Just need to find a tall sock for trail runs.

Brooks Sherpa 5” shorts are now my absolute favorite shorts and will be the only shorts I wear for any and every marathon from now on. Holy shit are they comfy and live up to Brooks’ expectation of forgetting you’re wearing them. $58 is a lot for shorts (and more than I’ve ever paid for a pair of jeans which would be worn daily for years lmao) but my god are they great. And for me a bad pair of shorts can really wreck a run. I had a bunch of reward money from Fleet Feet so I already bought another pair so my long run weekends can be enjoyed in these shorts.

 

I love balega socks so much.

 

More running specific, I’ve been happy with my progress on being able to complete back to back long runs. Saturday was 11 miles, yesterday was 12.5 and I’m not / was not terribly sore or aching anywhere - even after doing the Saturday run in a brand new pair of shoes which was not the smartest to do lol

will still have to do at least one 22-25 mile run all at once within the next four weeks to get ready for my 50K on 5/2 (8 weeks away!) but I’m starting to feel pretty comfortable I’ll be able to successfully complete it in a manageable time. The 50K has a 20 minute per mile cut off time at some aid stations and even on a trail I should be able to keep well ahead of that. Now I just need the rest of the snow to melt so I can get trail runs in without it being a soggy nightmare

 

Very relieved and happy with my unexpected long run today. All week my hamstring was tight and sometimes causing some slight back discomfort and on Thursday I ran a mile and it felt like I had run 30, my legs were just dead and I couldn’t do anything close to a squat.

So, today, I knew I’d be out for a run since it’s 60 degrees but thought I might go for only 3 or 4 miles and see how I feel. Ended up going for 11.5 and even with a bunch of traffic stops ended up somehow with a 9:57 pace which is way too fast for a long run but it didn’t feel tiring and made me very happy that I could do that without pain or having to really push myself. Could’ve stayed out for a few more miles too to really soak in the sunshine but didn’t want to overdo it. Amazing how much of a black cloud my hamstring has been on my mind the last 4-5 days and glad to see it’s either not as bad as I originally thought and/or maybe I did just need a light week of runs leading up to today.

 

Bit the bullet on a running watch finally. Went with the Coros Apex. Excited for it to arrive and begin testing it out for a few weeks before my 50K.

 

@Supernova you would be proud, I did my first trail run today (6 mile section of the Ice Age Trail). Even though the scenery wasn’t great since nothing has had time to grow yet, it was still awesome.

part of me never wants to do a road run again, but I’m sure once things are growing and there are bees and mosquitoes and shit in there then I’ll feel a bit differently lol

 

spring is also rattlesnake season, at least where i am. i haven't done a trail run in months. need to get back to it.

 

im not sure if Wisconsin has rattlesnakes or ANY poisonous snakes. Honestly don’t wanna research that lol I think that’s one of those things where it’s better for me not to know so I don’t freak myself out about it as it may never come up. There were a few weird rustling sounds I heard today but I suspect it was just rabbits or chipmunks

I think the only thing I have to worry about in Wisconsin would be poison ivy and way up north, bears. One of the bright spots about Wisconsin - the lack of animals or insects that can kill or harm you.

also really getting a lot of benefit out of the “All Trails” app. So much shit within 35-45 minutes of me that I never knew existed or where to go to find the trails

 

all trails is a game changer. plans all of my trips for me when i leave the state.

 

I am proud! haha. Yeah that's awesome. Come over to the dark side my friend..... just in the winter. I absolutely don't go into these woods down here in the Spring through late fall unless I'm on a large group run and I'm in the middle pack. Heck I don't' walk outside my house at night without hesitation and huge flashlight. I know very little about the Ice Age trail, but I know I'd like to get on it one day to knock it off my "big trails in the US" list.

 

we identified what caused this injury: my long run cadence was ~148 and my quicker run cadence ~158.

now I’m doing cadence retraining on the treadmill for a couple weeks and I feel like the biggest idiot, but yeah, the pain is pretty much nonexistent now

 

why do you feel like an idiot? What does cadence have to do with why your knee hurt? Maybe I’m a bigger idiot lmao